We are saying farewell to 2019 by asking our Mass Mix contributors to look back at the incredible music made right here in our city. From politically-charged hip-hop to modern punk and progressive folk, here are the picks for the best local albums of 2019.
Oompa, CLEO
Not only is CLEO Oompa’s best work, in my opinion, but this album highlights Oompa’s growth and versatility as an artist. The whole album is amazing and I love it for a few reasons. First, it's what I call a “play n go,” you can start from the first track and let the whole album play without skipping any songs. Second, it gives listeners relatable heartfelt songs about love and loss like "Cookie," "By You," and "Joy Back." It also has anthems such as "Cleo N ‘Nem" and "Feel Like Cole" as well as songs with motivational messages like "20/20" and "I Want the Sky." Lastly, this album features several local artists, further highlighting the talent that resides in our backyard. -Danielle Anderson, Social Media Coordinator, Boston Art & Music Soul Fest, Inc., @BAMSFEST
Planet Mercury, None In A Million
None In A Million by Planet Mercury is a refreshing take on modern punk. The sardonic lyrics that lace the album — delivered by an exasperated narrator that’s irritated with the world around them— are strung together with strong, catchy punk-infused guitar hooks that could fit as the soundtrack of a skateboarding documentary. It’s a record that will make you bob your head and turn the record up a little louder. The nostalgia that None In A Million conjures up is a reminder of the days when things were a bit simpler. -Alexis den Boggende, Staff Writer, Sound of Boston; @alexisdenboggende
Latrell James, Still
Latrell James’ self-produced and released Still, a five-track EP born out of the ashes of an unreleased project, combines rich instrumentation and beats with the rapper’s best songwriting to date, exploring themes like systemic racism and identity within an actively fluctuating community. "Tracphone," the first single from the album—and a personal favorite—observes gentrification through the lens of an artist who's proud of where they're from but feels they no longer belong there. I can’t think of a more timely and appropriate narrative to come out of Boston right now. -Stacy Buchanan, Managing Producer, WGBH
The Sheila Divine, Beginning of the End is Where We'll Start Again
In 1999, The Sheila Divine exploded out of the Boston music scene and onto the national stage with their major label (if Roadrunner Records is a "major label") debut New Parade. Twenty years later, the band sounds as sharp as ever on Beginning of the End is Where We'll Start Again. Frontman Aaron Perrino captures the frustration of modern-day America in "Melancholy, MA" and ruminates on the passing of time in "Summer of '93" and "Kurt Cobain." In a year where younger acts like Pile, Beeef and Future Teens put out some amazing efforts, it was nice to see a veteran act match those efforts with a solid indie rock album of their own. -Adam 12, Weekdays 11a-4p, ROCK 92.9
Honeysuckle, Fire Starter
Honeysuckle made my favorite record of the year. Not my favorite folk album, not my favorite local album, my favorite — period. I have listened to no single record more than Fire Starter this year. Holly McGarry, Chris Bloniarz and Benjamin Burns (who recently departed the group) are no strangers to best-of-lists, having all been part in some way of the band Grey Season. That group split in 2016, but Fire Starter makes it very clear that Honeysuckle are, like Grey Season, a group that should be known nationally, and the source of ferocious local pride. Every song is a pillar on its own, and the entire collection, dealing in family traits ("Fire Starter"), old resentments in Idaho ("Miss You"), and whimsy ("Islands"), breezes by in a rich half hour. Their virtuosity is always present, but never overshadows the razor sharp melodies: check that mandolin solo on “Gaslight” as proof of point. -Phil Jones, Afternoon Host, 88.9 WERS
STL GLD, The New Normal
I was lucky to be present when STL GLD dropped their album — a surprise unveiling — at the MFA last January. With a backdrop of George Washington and America's founding fathers, the album pulsed through the museum and captivated everyone in the audience. It remains the most memorable music experience I had in 2019. The album is everything a musical declaration should be in our politically charged times: angry, observant, disruptive, and hopeful. “We are funneling all that negative energy into positivity,” said band member Moe Pope at the unveiling. “Thanks to the Museum of Fine Arts for opening its doors to a Roxbury kid who truly believes hip hop music is art of the highest form." -Meghan Smith, Digital Producer, WGBH, @meghansmith55
Bystander, Nothing Matters
Local scenes are microcosms. They’re the playgrounds of innovative archivists. And they’re often unstable. Those truths ring particularly true in the story of local shoegazers Bystander. In May, they dropped
Nothing Matters as a beautifully nostalgic tribute to 90s noise rock and ambient alt rock. Those songs were sad, instrumentally harsh, and complicated. But just a matter of months later, Bystander broke up to allow some of its members to reform under the new banner Lilac Queen. 2019 was a year of great music, in Boston, in Massachusetts as a whole, and specifically in Lowell. It was also a year of loss. Nothing embodied that better than the locally heartbreaking loss of Lowell’s de-facto music headquarters UnchARTed. But then it was a year of rebirth and innovations, as new music venues formed particularly in Lowell, as the Boston Music Awards diversified and as some longtime stalwarts of our local scenes finally got big breaks. The guys in Bystander embody all of that. They’ve also given us some amazing music. It’s worth a listen. -Dakota Antelman, Writer for
The Lowell Spin
