For this month's Mass Mix, we asked our contributors to share new local music they are playing on repeat, as we reflect on a time of year filled with uncertainty and a little bit of hope. Here's what they said.

Niu Raza, “Madagascar”

"Madagascar" is the closest we'll get to island life right now: The opening plucks of the valiha harp places an iced tropical drink into your hand, and the layered vocal harmonies warm you like the rays of the midday sun. For four years, Niu Raza was the only Malagasy person at Berklee College of Music. Now based in Somerville, Niu Raza blends Malagasy lyrics, Caribbean beats, and modern pop flavors. On this track, she draws comparisons between a person she loves and her favorite parts of home: "Your arms bring me comfort / They remind me of grandma's cooking / You feel like my African sun / You warm me up when I'm freezing." - Knar Bedian, Editor in Chief at Sound of Boston

Future Teens, “Guest Room”

Local Boston quartet Future Teens finds their perfect sound with their new single, "Guest Room." Vocalist/guitarist Amy Hoffman's sharp voice, with a perfect nasal edge, cuts through the energetic instrumentation and distinguishes theirself from other alternative singers in the process. It's a song that reminds me of the best alternative-punk/emo-punk of the early 2000s – spunky and passionate with clever lyrics. In "Guest Room," Future Teens explore the growing pains of being in your twenties with a grace that makes me feel less alone in the questions I have as a new adult. - Tatum Jenkins, Music Coordinator at WERS 88.9 FM

SEE THIS WORLD, "Reality"

"What's your reality? Do you reality?" In another time and place, those questions might come across as disjointed. In the here and now, as we approach a year of stay-at-home, quarantine, and the like, they make a lot more sense. The questions are posed (screamed) by Boston punk legend Dave Tree. The song is "Reality," and it's the leadoff cut from The FUTURE is 2020, the latest release from his SEE THIS WORLD project. The album is a nine-track blast of hardcore punk, released at the tail end of last year. The song provides a much-needed kick-in-the-head at a time when COVID fatigue is peaking, and the light at the end of the tunnel still seems a bit too far away for our sanity. That's our reality in early 2021. -Adam 12, Weekdays 11a-4p, ROCK 92.9

Meiwei, “December’s End”

So it’s March again, which is technically close to spring, but mentally I think we are all still in winter. That’s why “December’s End,” the newest single from Meiwi, a Boston-based singer/songwriter born in Beijing, is the perfect song for our current mindset. It’s a gentle moment of respite from a difficult time of year, as she embraces the harsh beauty of the season amid uncertainty: “Here I am at December’s End, with no future plans / feeling not half bad.” With vivid lyrics about living in the American heartland during winter, the song is an indication of an exciting new voice in the indie-folk world.-Meghan Smith, Digital Producer, GBH

Connis, "Word on Me"

Cambridge-based Connis' "Word on Me" is a track made for rolling the windows down as you drive through Boston at dusk. The track blends together a soothing mixture of ethereal rhythms, static, domestic sound bites, and clever lyricism. As "Word on Me" comes to a close, an up-tempo beat is laid in the background instrumentation. This ties the fast-paced, melodic track together neatly, creating a refreshing take on groove. - Alexis den Boggende, Staff Writer at Sound of Boston

Rico Alice, “Moments”

In "Moments," the title track on Rico Alice's sophomore release, multi-disciplinary artist Darien Carr combines well-timed beats with spacious harmonies to build a cohesive atmosphere that pulls you in musically. Still, it's the deeper meaning in the lyrics' fragmented structure that won't let you leave. The song is built to imitate memory and its process to store what we learn for future use. Ultimately the process becomes sentient and begins reconstructing what's been saved, ending with the hum of Carr's saying, "I don't recognize me." It's an ambitious and intriguing self-exploration, entangled in the social constructs of our time and space. -Stacy Buchanan, Managing Producer, GBH

Squitch, "Part of Me"

"Part of Me," by Boston queerpunk outfit and Disposable America rising star Squitch, feels fitting for a time in which the self feels scrambled, outwardly deposited, found only fragmented in the countless spectacles around us. The twinkly, somewhere-around-ethereal guitar noodling and relentless, ever-changing drumline feels just short of apocalyptic. Like bad news you know is coming. "Folding my hands, there's trouble every day," Emma Jane sings on the track, "Clawing my way out before I suffocate / Warning signs abound, a love becomes a hate I'm stubborn, and I'm sad, pushing you away." It's an apology, an exasperated throwing-up-of-the-hands, a cry for help. An explosion looming. And in the many ways the track feels constricted and contained by quarantine, it hints toward the ways the pandemic and late-capitalist dystopia have become embedded in our psyche(s). Mourning the times I never saw them and their frenetic energy in concert. Eventually, though. - N. Malte Collins, Editor at Sound of Boston

Sweeping Promises, "Hunger for a Way Out"

Typically I listen to music like Joy Division, things that are dark and cold and not exactly upbeat. However, when I found the gem that is Sweeping Promises LP, Hunger for a Way Out, I immediately was hooked. The title track has been my go-to when I find myself feuding with my Seasonal Affective Disorder. Lead Lira Modal’s incisive vocals are reminiscent of early Siouxsie and the Banshees, and the slamming, winding guitar phrases pull me out of the winter doldrums. I’m definitely a fan, and I cannot wait to see what they come up with in the future. -Ashley Kreutter, Music Section Manager & Editor, Boston Hassle