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The best local albums of 2025, according to our critics
In naming “My Side of the Mountain” by DJ Lucas one of the best local albums of the year, WBUR correspondent Noble addresses complaints about the field being saturated. And it’s not just the local hip-hop scene. A report released about a year ago found that there are now over 200 million tracks on Spotify, but nearly half of them have no or very few plays.
But even as the amount of music made by both humans and AI exceeds what any listener could possibly consume, a few local artists managed to break through the glut and shine. Our favorites ranged from the beautifully arranged folk-pop of The Favors to the twisting hardcore of Pile to the heartfelt modern R&B of DAV. We also loved the meticulously arranged high-energy brass sound of the Revolutionary Snake Ensemble, but don’t look for their new album in that haystack of music called Spotify. The group’s label, the long-running Cuneiform Records, is among those that have decided they’re better off without streaming services and their minuscule royalties, a trend we’re likely to see more of in 2026. — Noah Schaffer
DJ Lucas, 'My Side of the Mountain'
Western Massachusetts has a star in DJ Lucas. He was the only feature on indie rapper Russ’ latest project “W!LD.” (Russ mentioned how impressed he was to have him as the sole feature.) I’ve known about DJ Lucas for years now and only continue to be further impressed with his artistry. As complaints of saturation loom over the field, authenticity has suffered. Lucas is not adding to that problem. His new project dropped Nov. 30 to round out his offerings this year, called “My Side of the Mountain.” His penmanship sets him apart. He is able to turn the most mundane details into lyrical gold. While most artists who speak on their day-to-day want to wow you with their luxury, Lucas mentions how he has to switch to a more energy-efficient setting in his car to get to his destinations. “And the trap keep on callin’, I can’t leave this shit alone (DJ)/ So I hop on I-90 then switch to ECO mode (yoom),” he raps on the intro song “Fear.” The overall project is 45 minutes long, divided into 17 songs. My favorites include “DJ That’s My Name,” “No Fear In My Heart (feat. Chicken P)” and “Don’t Call It A Comeback.” Witty rap bars and authenticity straight from the cornfields of Amherst. — Noble
Dot Dev, 'There Was A Wind, But No Chime'
Allston-based rapper Devin Bailey opened a compelling new chapter with this introspective, lo-fi hip-hop album. For almost a decade, they were better known as Pink Navel, a boisterous and unapologetically online artist known for high-energy tracks chock full of cartoon and video game references. We find Bailey in a more meditative place as Dot Dev.
That’s clear from the album’s opening, characterized by piano loops and ride cymbals over which Bailey ponders progress, both creative and personal. “I was focused on the Z, but only acting on the A,” they observe. They leave that mentality behind on the sublimely peaceful “Places I Rode,” and enjoy the journey, whether it be on the saddle of a bike or as a musician traveling through space and time.
To be clear, Pink Navel isn’t history. The wit and nods to a healthy online media diet are still here, folded into songs rich with personal discovery. They are a reminder of how much the artist has grown, and how much they still have to explore. — Lukas Harnisch
Connis and loe4t, 'NEW SKY'
It was a good year for Cambridge rapper Connis. In January, he and the producer loe4t released “NEW SKY,” a wistful, intimate project that we featured in the following month’s local music roundup. In November, Connis was back, this time with the producer Loman for a charming, boom bap-inflected album called “WHAT HAVE WE HERE.” Both are worthy projects, but “NEW SKY” remains my favorite. Much credit must be given to loe4t’s production, which is melodic and mildly psychedelic, and uses guitars in all sorts of interesting ways. Connis has said that “NEW SKY” is an exploration of grief, and the album hits many melancholy notes. But there is a playfulness to Connis’ sadness. “'Cause we’ve got kitchen chemistry/ Your heart of gold is like a garlic clove and I’mma open it up,” he sings on the breakup song “KITCHEN CHEMISTRY,” unable to resist a garlic-based metaphor to characterize his yearning. “NEW SKY” came out in the midst of winter, but it actually reminds me of the memory of summer: warm and hazy, with the quality of a dream. — Amelia Mason
Yana, 'Exit Strategy'
No one crushes your soul with tales of romantic anguish quite like Yana. The folk pop singer-songwriter graduated from Berklee College of Music with a degree in songwriting in 2020. She released her most recent EP, “Exit Strategy,” in August. The EP is led by the single “Talk About,” laced with haunting vocals and frantic strumming. The song tells the story of not knowing how to exit a destructive relationship.
On “The Answer,” Yana explores not knowing how to work through struggles in a relationship while a lover chips away at her. “Take a piece of me and do it out of spite/ How do we find out what this was all for?/ Gave all we had and still we came up short,” she sings. Yana elicits the ghosts of a toxic relationship on “Never Notice” as she indulges in thoughts of her ex treating a new girl much better than he ever did her. “For It Be” feels emotionally lighter, but it’s also about a fake exchange happening in Yana’s head. It’s rooted in delusion and veers in a depressing direction. Yana solidifies her distrust in partners on “Pendulum,” singing, “I’ve never felt at home with anyone.” She once again begs for a malicious partner to come back to her and do what they want to her. The EP draws from raw vulnerability and resonates with listeners who have also suffered through scarring relationships. — Maddie Browning
Revolutionary Snake Ensemble, 'Serpentine'
Think of a brass band and images of wild street parties and rambunctious political protests come to mind. While Boston’s Revolutionary Snake Ensemble is no stranger to those contexts, leader/saxophonist Ken Field and his cohorts greatly leveled up their composition and arranging game on their first record in nine years. Dave Harris on trombone and tuba, tenor saxophonist Tom Hall, bassist Blake Newman, trumpeter Jerry Sabatini, and drummer Phil Neighbors all lock in on everything from Mingus and Sun Ra-inspired brass fantasies to the Eastern European sounds of “Buck” and “Nezalezhnist” (the Ukrainian word for independence). The album is a great artistic leap forward for a Boston mainstay, as well as proof that brass band music can be as pleasing to the ears and the mind as it is to the feet. — Noah Schaffer
DAV, 'Everything I Didn't Say'
Mattapan’s DAV came onto my radar just in October and has easily become my favorite new talent out of Massachusetts this year. The 21-year-old had a promo video go viral for his song “I Know (sped up)” filmed in front of the Emerson Paramount Center building in downtown Boston. When you look at the comments, you can see people discovering him for the first time and loving the soulful vibes they hear. His debut EP “Everything I Didn’t Say” is nearly 14 minutes — six songs that remind us R&B always deserves a seat at the table of music discussion. It’s also special to hear a new artist out the gate recognize their value before outside validation kicks in. DAV’s work stands out to me because of the level of vulnerability the young man creatively displays. “I had to climb up a mountain just to get here in front of you girl/ How can I be done with you girl,” he sings on “Ride With Me (Outro).”
He purposely speeds up the music he records to create his sonic aesthetic, another play to stand out that worked well for him. As a multidisciplinary artist, his strength on the piano allows him to have a better thumb on what he wants to display to the world. On his Instagram, he mentions, “I put my heart into this project, it’s more than just songs, it’s pieces of me, thoughts I kept in, feelings I never shared, moments I couldn’t put into words until now.” Now is the time to get acquainted with this soulful newcomer. — Noble
Pile, 'Sunshine and Balance Beams'
The ninth album from these grizzled, post-hardcore veterans is a masterfully executed exercise in giving in to dismay. Howling and crooning atop a shifting bed of strings, angular guitar and pummeling drums, frontman Rick Maguire seems completely consumed by the Sisyphean nature of his creative labor.
From yearning for peace on “An Opening” to the debasing nature of the music industry on “A Loosened Knot,” the tireless grind on “Deep Clay,” and the ultimate “monument to nothingness” on “Carrion Song,” Maguire paints the picture of a disillusioned artist just looking for a place to rest.
After almost two decades of recording and touring, no one would blame Pile for wanting to pause, but the band continues to push its creative limits. Choirlike voices, synths and strings meld with menacing guitars and bass on songs that never return to the same place twice. Far from the product of a band that has given up, “Sunshine and Balance Beams” is a massive flex of artistic power. — Lukas Harnisch
The Favors, 'The Dream'
Singer-songwriters Ashe and FINNEAS previously collaborated on songs as solo artists, like the gutwrenching divorce track “Moral of the Story” and the viral apocalyptic song “Till Forever Falls Apart.” This year, they embarked on a new musical endeavor as a duo, releasing music under the moniker The Favors. Their debut album “The Dream” came out in September. The songs are infused with 1970s folk, drawing inspiration from Fleetwood Mac.
“The Dream” traces intimate romance and pain through lush, nostalgic soundscapes and expertly blended harmonies. While Ashe and FINNEAS have different real-life partners, the pair play lovers across the record with cinematic intensity and overwhelming emotion. (Berklee alum Ashe recently married John Canada of indie rock/folk band The Brook and the Bluffs.) “The Little Mess You Made” delves into the pain of cheating through a numb melody that builds to a breaking point. On the chorus of “The Hudson,” the artists sing, “I don’t know where I belong/ All I’ve ever known is gone/ I’ve got nothing but you to lose.” Their love is urgent and palpable. “Ordinary People” rings out with echoing vocals. I imagine the pair performing the track under moody spotlights at a jazz club. “Necessary Evils” begins over somber keys as Ashe and FINNEAS sing about their fear of the inevitable pain of eventually losing someone you love.
“Times Square Jesus” is a standout with beautiful strings and heartbreaking lyrics about not being able to let a past lover go. “I still pick up your mother from the airport/ She says I should move on/ You’re too much your father’s son,” Ashe sings. There’s also “David’s Brother,” a deceivingly energetic song about wading through the grief of a breakup, and the yearning, groovy disco track “Home Sweet Home.” This is not the album to turn on when you’re bursting with joy. It’s for soft reflection — probably while sitting indoors staring out at the pouring rain for the drama of it all. — Maddie Browning
Jen Kearney, 'Gas Station Poet'
For many years, singer-songwriter and keyboardist Jen Kearney made and performed funky but thoughtful music around New England. There was a detour to the U.K., but her first full LP since moving back shows that her songwriting has only gotten deeper.
As someone who takes more than a few musical cues from Stevie Wonder, it’s fitting that Kearney has made a very timely concept record, which she calls an examination of how greed and division have impacted modern life. The material ranges from the topical (“11 Minutes” about the much-maligned, all-female space trip) to character portraits like the title track. And these richly-told musical stories are brought to life by a band of some of Boston’s most ferocious players, showing that it’s still the human touch that can make a record soar. — Noah Schaffer
