The best local albums of 2024, according to our critics

An underground Boston rap supergroup. A klezmer clarinetist. A Berklee band on the rise. An unknown young R&B singer. One of the most popular singers in the nation.

The year’s best local albums are a charmingly eclectic group. They are as indicative of our critics’ varying tastes as they are of the thriving musical subcultures that call Boston home. Here, jazz, hip-hop, indie-pop, folk and new acoustic music are alive and well, providing a space for artists to experiment and chart new ground in their respective genres.

It is difficult to pick out a single theme linking the 10 albums on this list. But in several of these projects, I noticed an anxiety particular to the plight of today’s working musicians. The topic came up often in the course of my reporting this year. Striving has always been a part of the creative process, but the material conditions matter, too. Photocomfort, I think, rightly alludes to the external forces that make her vocation so difficult. “I do the daytime gig for the money/ I do the nighttime gig to feel fine,” she sings on “On Time,” implying that artistic fulfillment and material comfort are diametrically opposed. There’s an eerie resonance with this idea in many of the songs on “Multitudes,” Alisa Amador’s first full-length release since she won NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest – a professional breakthrough that has yet to completely deliver on its promise for the talented Boston singer-songwriter.

The obvious exception in this group of mostly small-time artists is Noah Kahan, a superstar of the moment whose excellent “Live From Fenway Park” functions as a giddy piece of New England propaganda. Kahan’s full-hearted embrace of his local roots, and decision to make his home in Watertown ought to be a boon for the region’s music scene. One can only hope.

In reality, I fear that Kahan will only become more of an outlier as the music industry continues down its current path. Most artists will never make it to Kahan’s level, which is to be expected. But it is becoming vanishingly rare to establish a sustainable career without major label support or a huge national fanbase. Artists find themselves squeezed on multiple fronts as streaming services solidify their hegemony over music sales (a once dependable source of earned income that now delivers fractions of a penny per stream), and the cost of living and touring both rocket upwards. More needs to be done, at the local and national level, to make it possible for musicians to earn a comfortable living making music. At risk of sounding dramatic, I ask you to consider this list a (partial) accounting of what we must fight to protect, and all we stand to lose. — Amelia Mason

Sometimes, the best things come in unassuming packages. Such is the case with “xoxo, eph (a mixtape),” the latest release from Boston singer-songwriter Eph See, everything about which asks to be overlooked: all the words in lowercase, the parenthetical demotion from “album” to “mixtape,” the title a self-effacing farewell. But the melancholy songs within contain a tart vitality. Eph See ruminates on the uncertainty of love and career with characteristic sharpness and melodies that zap the cerebral cortex like a hit of dopamine.

This is a collection of extras: demos or songs that didn’t fit, for whatever reason, into a more formal project. A few up-tempo tracks feature effervescent production by LEXIM, AJ Abdullah and GHEDI; the rest are stripped-down, in classic demo fashion. Rather than sounding rough, the songs are immediate and unlabored, showcasing Eph See’s sturdy songwriting and wry lyricism. “Oh Stefan, I want to make you cry/ But just because you’re so satisfied,” they sing on the wistful banger “stefan.” The decision to release a mixtape, the singer told me, was a gesture of defiance against the paralyzing perfectionism that comes with being an artist; sometimes, you just have to get out of your own way. With “xoxo, eph (a mixtape),” Eph See has managed to do just that. — Amelia Mason

Brynn Cartelli’s debut record “Out of the Blue” is a coming-of-age story reflecting on moving away from home, falling in and out of love, and finding footing in a new city. Cartelli is a 21-year-old, pop singer-songwriter from Longmeadow and the youngest winner of “The Voice.” She wields rich, expansive vocals like her mentor Kelly Clarkson and builds impressive melodies from high school memories. Her album balances playful romance — “Watching My Friends Fall in Love” and “Convertible in the Rain” — with heartbreak and melancholy. Gentle guitar builds to throbbing drums on “Boy From Home,” a gut-wrenching track about a tumultuous relationship. A standout, “Darker Days” captures the numbness of winter through poetic lyricism: “Hanging on to a lightning bolt/ It flashes once, I let it go/ After all these years, I've lost my hope/ On the darker days, on the darker days.” — Maddie Browning

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Boston’s Twisted Pine started as a bluegrass combo and has morphed into something a lot harder to describe. One thing that hasn’t changed is the virtuosity of flutist Anh Phung, bassist Chris Sartori, fiddler/lead singer Kathleen Parks and mandolinist Dan Bui.

On this, their third album, songs like "Lonestar" and "Chanel Perfume" are such delightfully catchy earworms you can forget to listen to how intricately arranged they are. But they haven’t forgotten their roots: Dobro legend Jerry Douglas pops in for the melodic instrumental “Green Flash” and “After Midnight (Nothing Good Happens)” is a celebration of late-night bluegrass festival jamming, with Parks calling out each solo before getting in on the action herself. This is a major step forward for a band that knows its tradition while also daring to be different. — Noah Schaffer

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Boston’s Nahli is a breath of fresh air with her vulnerability, great sound production, well-written lyrics and a strong singing voice. “GOOD4U” is 15 minutes of an R&B vibe that feels reminiscent of the vulnerability a ‘90s baby like myself enjoyed growing up with: 702’s “Get It Together,” Brandy’s “ Top of the World” or Mýa’s “Movin’ On.” The muffled voice samples, the seamless transitions into the next song, and the dynamics of her voice. Her range is captured on songs like “Sacred Place” and “Special,” the singing just puts you in a trance. The project starts off with a smooth bop called “LIKE THAT,” an upbeat tune that perfectly eases you into the whole experience. “SWM (Around)” is my personal favorite. The sample you hear in the beat production coupled with Nahli’s cadences tapped into that R&B nostalgia. And I can’t forget SVMBV’s amazing role as executive producer. Nahli was nominated for R&B Artist of the Year at the 2024 Boston Music Awards and this project proves why. — Noble

Listen to a live set by Boston-based saxophonist and composer Jonathan Suazo, and it won’t take long to recognize his creative spirit. Suazo’s attention-commanding effect in his performances is the result of both years of studying and on-the-spot agility and energy to match it. Last year, the Quincy resident blended Puerto Rican and Dominican influences in his studio album “Ricano,” which earned recognition on The New York Times’ Best Jazz Albums of 2023. Suazo’s 2024 follow-up is a live version of the album recorded on the release tour. On it, he both reinterprets and at times reinvents his own music with the help of 19 other musicians. Careful listeners can spot the differences between the tracks on the studio and live albums, such as with “Heroes,” “Esperanza pa' mi pueblo” and “Dharma.” The quality of the sound on this album can’t go without mention here. Live recordings can often sound muddied and distant. "Ricano, Vol.1: Live in 2023” has been mixed and mastered by Grammy award-winning talent and places the listener in the heart of the sound, as if you were sitting in the middle of the band: a hopeful, jubilant and inspiring place to be. — Solon Kelleher

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On her debut LP, Alisa Amador promised “Multitudes” — and she delivered a bounty, alright. Ever since the Boston artist made history in 2022 as the first person to win NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest with a Spanish language song, flagging her gift for deftly intertwining poppy melodies and Latin folk, there’s been mounting anticipation for how Amador would introduce herself at length on her first studio album.

“Multitudes” unspools the flair that first distinguished Amador across 12 tracks, tugging her tenderness into a bilingual universe that’s boldly emotional but never hardened by life’s harsh realities. “I love my job, but I hate it sometimes/ Spinning all these plates, singin’ for crumbs each night,” she sings on “Love Hate Song,” a buoyant commentary on adulthood’s unending balancing act. Here she nods to life’s shifting struggles —and if heartache is inevitable, then at least we have “Multitudes” to draw joy and strength from. — Victoria Wasylak

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The Boston singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and producer Justine Bowe has been releasing music as Photocomfort since at least 2016. Until now, her solo work has taken a back seat to collaborations, like the indie-pop duo hex gf, which put out its fantastic debut album last year. “Patron Saint” is Bowe’s first full-length project as Photocomfort, and it’s a quieter, stranger piece of work than any of the singles she released under the moniker in the past. The album finds Bowe leaning on delicate acoustic sounds (piano, harp, flute), allowing her voice to take center stage: unearthly, yearning, swathed in reverb. There’s a nostalgic quality to the production, especially in its treatment of ballads, even as Bowe employs ambient electronics and spare drum samples, as if Doris Day made a bedroom pop album.

“Patron Saint” is a collection of songs about friendship, each written about someone in Bowe’s life. The concept injects the material with unexpected poignancy; rarely is the topic of platonic love treated with as much focus and, frankly, romance as the more amorous variety. It leads Bowe to some complicated emotions. “I would cut the man who cut you,” she declares on “Roll,” a gentle, Blood Orange-esque bop, before abruptly reversing course. “But I can’t right your wrongs/ I’m not your lover, not your dog.” Yet most of the songs on “Patron Saint” are more tender than cutting. One of my favorites, “Big Star,” paints a picture of two friends bonded by the Sisyphean-like challenge of trying to make it in the entertainment business. “I can feel your potential, baby,” Bowe sings, accompanied by mournful pedal steel. “Gonna be a big star in my heart, is that enough?” There’s nothing better than being truly seen by a friend – except, perhaps, when they sing to you. — Amelia Mason

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Tiny Habits is an adorably close-knit trio from Berklee. Maya Rae, Cinya Khan and Judah Mayowa got their start uploading videos of themselves singing covers in stairwells on campus. They amassed a following and went on to accompany Berklee dropout Lizzy McAlpine at her NPR Tiny Desk Concert and opened for Gracie Abrams and Noah Kahan on tour. Tiny Habits released its first album “All For Something” in May chronicling the stages of grief at the end of a relationship. Haunting three-part harmonies wash over the listener and retreat as the lyrics trace the bitterness and hurt left by former lovers. “People Always Change” meditates on the moment the sheen of a relationship wears off and suddenly, you are unrecognizable, and your partner isn’t as perfect as you thought. The trio sings, “Maybe love is just reality delay,” holding a pessimistic view of romance. On “Small Enough,” a cute reference to their band name, they find relief in moving on. “Planting Flowers” treads lightly on regrowth after a breakup, and “I Don’t Have The Heart” races through not being able to let someone go. Tiny Habits leaves plenty of space for healing and reflection, delving into soul-crushing emotions through breathtaking melodies. — Maddie Browning

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It says a lot about Boston’s Jewish music scene that an Israeli clarinetist would come here to study and play klezmer. Itay Dayan has quickly established himself as a valued part of the local music community, in large part through this album, which he recorded with a septet of other younger area musicians. The record contains tunes that were in a book that Philadelphia trumpeter Susan Hoffman Watts published of pieces written down by her great-grandfather Joseph Hoffman nearly a century ago. Some of the tunes are lively dance numbers, while others are sorrowful. But they’re all played with plenty of power and joy by Dayan and his cohorts, like accordionist Mattias Kaufmann and banjo player Roman Barten-Sherman. (Barten-Sherman also released a great record this year as half of an exceptionally inventive duo with Yoona Kim that melds acoustic blues with Korean music.) Hoffman’s beautiful melodies will continue to live on this spring, as Watts joins Dayan’s Hoffman Band for a March 23 concert at The Boston Synagogue. — Noah Schaffer

Boston’s Feed the Family is the city’s premier rap group today, in my opinion. No other act is as cohesive, hard-working and creative as these four men: Dun Dealy, Shaykh Hanif, BoriRock and Top Hooter. They come from the streets and speak on what they know but have created art around their trials and tribulations. “Zing Language” is their most polished work to date. What I like the most is the show of personality from each artist within the music. It feels like they’re having fun. With “zings” that look like Buff Bagwell or Lex Luger, you know the artists were into WWE growing up. Top Hooter, who offers the most laid-back presence in the group, shows vulnerability on “Oye Lick” after finding out his lady was cheating on him. The fellas tease BoriRock about always falling asleep. And you can feel the “family” aspect they promote on songs like “March 4th,” which is a salute to Tremendiss, the group’s main producer. The 47-minute project is grimy poetic art and it will be interesting to see how they’re able to continue to make their styles intertwine so effortlessly. — Noble

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The album starts with the roar of a Fenway crowd, an expanded instrumental intro for the song “Dial Drunk” and a full-throated cry of “New England!” from the night’s main act: Noah Kahan. “It’s so good to be home,” said Kahan, one of his many local asides throughout the album. “I wrote this song right here in Watertown, Massachusetts,” he said about the previously unreleased “Pain Is Cold Water.”

What’s most notable about this project is Kahan’s musical performance. For a singer with a largely melancholic discography, he was audibly exulting onstage at Fenway earlier this year. “If I had enough words, I would tell you what this meant to me, but I’m just going to play my sad f---ing depressing music and hope that you guys hear it.” Many videos circulated on social media in the days following the concert of Kahan’s family and loved ones joining him on stage and joyfully dancing during his performance of “Stick Season,” and the album has much of that genuine fun. For Kahan loyalists and newcomers, “Live From Fenway Park” captures the spirit of those two heart-filled nights in July: a New England star playing an iconic venue to a charged-up, hometown crowd. — Solon Kelleher

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“Before I go ‘splat’/ Make sure you clap and enjoy,” Latrell James raps on “Pinky & Brain,” the closing track of the Boston emcee and producer’s first project since the 2020 EP “Under.” Aside from offering a quip about society’s recently-emboldened hunger for trainwrecks, the lyric feels like James’ wry send-off for “Running In Place,” a collection of dogged hip-hop that veers through twinkling, R&B-adjacent melodies (“Top Ramen”), soft-spoken family snapshots (“Rare Candy”) and hard-bodied beats (“Coat Hanger”).

The 13-song record is a nimble feat of endurance that extends James’ reputation for bars you can’t brush off, be it callout tracks or candid depictions of poverty. Even when he feels like he’s sprinting in vain, as the album title implies, “Running In Place” proves that James is still one of Boston’s musical frontrunners.  — Victoria Wasylak