Massachusetts musicians have been busy: A new album from longtime blue-collar Boston rockers The Amplifier Heads. A satisfying anthem of outrage from singer-songwriter Kimaya Diggs. Producer and artist Hassan Barclay’s deceptively pleasant new EP, which sounds like bedroom pop written for an arena. WBUR’s music writers share their favorite local music they heard in July.
Kimaya Diggs, ‘I know that I’m perfect‘
Kimaya Diggs has already pivoted once. The Northampton musician’s debut album “Breastfed” was a contemplative, DIY affair; her follow-up, “Quincy,” unveiled a polished sound with R&B inclinations. Her new single, “I know that I’m perfect,” teases yet another shift. The song opens with warbling synths and a rubbery bassline. Diggs sounds composed even as she hints at turbulence: “I was born between two worlds/ Like a clenched fist, like an open hand.” At the chorus, everything changes. Guitars churn, drums smash, and Diggs unleashes a furious indictment. “You say that it’s simple, you’re oversimplifying,” she sings, voice pitched above the distortion. “I told you I’d carry your children, I was lying.” Ouch.
Diggs explained in an email that the song is “based on an ex who made an entire life plan for me without asking what I thought even once.” No wonder “I know that I’m perfect” is such a satisfying anthem of outrage. The song will appear on Diggs’ upcoming album “Green” (due Oct. 2), which marks the first time Diggs is credited as a producer and engineer on her own music – a subtler, though no less powerful, expression of agency. — Amelia Mason
DeevoDaGenius & TEGA, ‘Da Story of Tega Brady (Deluxe)‘
Brockton’s TEGA released the attention-grabbing “Da Story of Tega Brady (Deluxe)” in June. This project’s backbone is an authentic story, further supported by clever writing and DeevoDaGenius’s production, which seems to only get stronger over the years. TEGA put together a very clever rollout with his Toxic Tuesdays freestyles, where he put his writing skills on display, speaking to a fictional love interest. Every installment just kept getting better. The way he flipped known concepts and embedded them within his rap made me want to listen to the project to see how he would continue to supply this creativity. “Depositing, n—as got no bank, but they Chiming in./ I been blacking out like Cole, they better mine (mind) they own,” he raps on “Exquisite Timing,” referencing Chime online banking, J. Cole the rapper and coal mining. The way TEGA raps forces close listening so as not to miss these moments of mastery.
Producer DeevoDaGenius left his mark on “Da Story of Tega Brady,” but in a tasteful way. Directing the album art reminded me of how DJ Drama used to put together projects for artists, but without the heavy talking over the music. It is a new era. The beat production was eerie to fit the street tales, hard-hitting to keep your attention and has DJ scratches to pay homage to the genre’s origins that have become part of Deevo’s production style. Another portion worth noting was the features on the project. TEGA was able to tap into a community of artists he respects that Deevo also works with to create a seamless chemistry. Dun Dealy, BoriRock, Shaykh Hanif, 4FIVE6 NICE, FNM Mook, KIL THE ARTIST and BlueHillBill — all great storytellers with their own styles that are respected within Massachusetts hip-hop culture. This project is well-rounded, with clever writing and beat production that will have you unknowingly nodding along. — Noble
Sophie Wellington, ‘Her Bright Smile Haunts Me Still‘
The old-time folk melodies and ballads that helped lay the foundation of American music were for dancing as well as listening. That tradition is now being reclaimed by a young generation of singers, musicians and percussive dancers. Boston’s Sophie Wellington happens to be all three things, and on this record of ballads and instrumental tunes they’ve found some remarkably original and fresh-sounding ways of making some very old songs sound brand new…