WBUR The ARTery • June 24, 2021

Squirrel Flower's 'Planet (i)' Is Grungy Folk For A Cosmic Resurrection

The Arlington-based singer-songwriter bridges concealed feelings and the endless universe on her radiant new album.

WBUR The ARTery • June 22, 2021

6 Music Releases To Listen To This Summer

From electrified rock bangers to virtuosic neoclassical collaborations, we've curated a guide for a cathartic return to fun in the summer sun.

WBUR The ARTery • June 17, 2021

'This Is Not A Bit' — The 'Not Funny' Side Of Noah Britton

The Boston-based comedian and singer-songwriter curbs his funny side for an exercise in love on his newest EP, “I Love You.”

WBUR The ARTery • May 12, 2021

The Retribution Of Juliana Hatfield’s New Album Is Soaked In 'Blood'

The album’s blunt rage and melodic songwriting reveals her most liberated state, both approachable and practically foaming at the mouth.

WBUR The ARTery • April 28, 2021

The Turbulence Behind The Stillness Of Mercet's Debut Album 'VIMS'

On Mercet's debut album “VIMS,” the Boston-based producer observes the fragility of mental illness with lush and emotive soundscapes.

WBUR The ARTery • April 22, 2021

Dinosaur Jr. Evokes The Past On New Album 'Sweep It Into Space'

The newest from DinosaurJr. is the most true to their original triptych of albums, one that harkens back to the cannonade bliss of youthful rock and roll in its most blithely unpolished form.

WBUR The ARTery • March 30, 2021

7 Albums To Listen To This Spring

From steamrolling rock ‘n’ roll to ‘90s dance floor bangers, music writer Charley Ruddell's music guide ushers in a sense of growth to shake the winter chill.

WBUR The ARTery • March 12, 2021

Future Teens' EP 'Deliberately Alive' Is A Sign The Band Is Growing Up

The breakthrough Boston “bummer pop” quartet discusses their charmed journey of inside jokes, DIY ethics and the music that inspires them.

WBUR The ARTery • February 1, 2021

Listen: Ben Cosgrove Makes Music For The Life Between The Cracks

The folk instrumentalist explores urban pastoral scenes with the elegant and impressionistic piano piece “The Machine in the Garden.”

WBUR The ARTery • January 20, 2021

7 Albums To Listen To This Winter

Many of these fine releases were conceived in a state of quarantine, and encapsulate the unique and trying elements of such conditions. From bombastic and socially-conscious rock to introspective and inspired ambient music, power-pop, cathartic improvisations and beyond, our winter music guide is sure to alleviate you in some capacity, whether you’re having cabin fever, post-holiday blues or a general state of existentialism.

WBUR The ARTery • December 11, 2020

Our Favorite Massachusetts Albums From A Year Like No Other

In 2020, nothing was as before. So we did what we always do in times of crisis: we sought solace in music, and escape. And while many Massachusetts artists struggled to make ends meet in an industry brought to its knees by the pandemic, it is reassuring to look back on the year and see that, amid so much loss, we gained some beautiful things. Here are our critics’ favorite local albums to emerge from a year like no other.

WBUR The ARTery • November 19, 2020

The Suitcase Junket Rebuilds In A State Of Uncertainty On 'The End Is New'

Matt Lorenz’s sixth album finds him in a state of catharsis and at odds with the world, a space that has yielded the most thoughtfully composed and polished release of his career.

WBUR The ARTery • November 6, 2020

Rapper Billy Dean Thomas Gets Self-Analytical On New EP 'For Better Of Worse'

A central theme on Thomas’ EP is their emotional relationship to systems outside of theirself -- the tracks offer a unique glimpse into the realm of self-analyzation for the outwardly observational rapper.

WBUR The ARTery • October 26, 2020

Rapper Latrell James Rises From 'Under' The Depths With New EP

Unlike previous releases, there’s an urgency driving the through line of “Under” that makes past projects — though concise and intentional — feel meandering. From atop the peak of Boston hip-hop, Latrell James is aggravated, admittedly sick of all the noise and ready to take over the world.

WBUR The ARTery • October 8, 2020

The Unshakable Companionship Of Darlingside, Boston's Indie Folk Darlings

The quartet is out with “Fish Pond Fish,” a warm and welcoming step forward for the band into the realm of pop, though distinctively rustic and folk-driven.

WBUR The ARTery • September 23, 2020

7 Albums To Listen To This Fall

Between a slew of anxiously awaited releases from some of music’s biggest names, to some of the strongest and most compelling local music in a generation, the albums of this fall season have something for everyone, including tender, gauzy folk ballads, zesty indie-pop, pulsing electronic sensationalism and so much more.

WBUR The ARTery • May 5, 2020

Remembering Great Scott, A Beloved Safe Haven For Boston’s Music Community

As a musician and long time patron, the loss of Great Scott has brought on a great deal of reflection, and so, with the help of others also affected by its loss, we attempt to pay homage to a beloved institution.

WBUR The ARTery • April 23, 2020

Wrought With Intensity, Bad History Month’s New Album 'Old Blues' Is A Cynical Self-Examination

“Old Blues” is, in a word, unfettered; a fascinating look into the catharsis of psyche by means of discordant guitars, crude drums, and a raw, uncompromised voice.

WBUR The ARTery • April 3, 2020

Unearthing Busted Statues' 'Ashes And Relics' And Boston's Punk Underground

WBUR The ARTery • March 16, 2020

Beating Her Own Drum, Terri Lyne Carrington Continues To Push Jazz Forward