What is the sound of spring? You need an aesthetic that embraces rebirth and relentless rain, the darkness of a brutal year, and a handful of sunny, perfect days. Where the song of the summer must be pure escape, this season’s soundtrack must reflect our collective crises and have epic dance party jams. I know, that’s a lot of weight for six songs. Fortunately, I have complete confidence in the greater Boston music scene.

“Hold on too long”, hard feelings

People talk about the second roaring twenties. How about a second nightclub from the 70s? If we’re on the precipice of a global era of awesome, let Hard Feelings mark it all. Former Bostonian Amy Douglas (the queen of rock and dance behind Feints and SPF 5000) teams up with Joe Goddard (of Hot Chip) for that fierce beat and fierce voice. A spring song from a new duo that could capture the crown of Song of Summer with a follow-up single (please, please get us a follow-up statistic).

“Love Me Pt. 1,” DJ WhySham, MonaVeli and Jill McCracken

DJ WhySham and his team of collaborators continue to run the city with this hot and cold jam. Slow and hot, quiet and punchy, modern hip-hop and retro R&B, “Love Me Pt. 1” shows the power WhySham, MonaVeli and Jill McCracken can harness when they team up. Once this song has crushed you, spin the rest of “A Survivor’s Prayer EP Part I”. After that, fall for WhySham’s superb album “Finally”.

“Blood & Bone”, Abbie Barrett

Did Abbie Barrett do a progressive rock song? Just thinking about the issue could make you forget about pandemics. Now forget some more when thinking about a silly question like, “What exactly is prog?” Great, now go listen to this. Long one of the city’s great singer-songwriters, Barrett goes creepy in “Blood & Bone.” So weird, is it Radiohead mid-career, Saint-Vincent mid-career, and maybe Flaming Lips or PJ Harvey too? Join me in clearing your brain trying to figure out how cool and crazy this new song is.

“I can go”, airport

It’s a yacht rock song. This is extreme praise. Everyone knew Craig Small’s band could make a groovy single somewhere between AM gold and early ’80s pop, but we all expected them to have such dreamy vocal harmonies, so airy guitar lines, and just the right rhythm and the right keyboard tone? Yeah, I guess those who pay attention to Small’s craft have.

“The Pill”, Eph See

The Boston singer-songwriter looks back on high school with deep soul-searching and a magnetic melody. A wonderful dichotomy, “The Pill” combines heavy lyrics with light production, nostalgia and a modern sound palette. A folk song with a dance beat, or a pop song with an acoustic guitar riff, or an indie rock song featuring elements from multiple genres, this is the latest in a series of awesome singles from Eph. See.

“Hope you are doing well,” Nate Leavitt

Somewhere between “Here Comes the Sun” and a crescendo My Morning Jacket, local luminary Nate Leavitt asks, “How are you?” While answers vary, the impact of the singer-songwriter-guitarist’s new single is unlikely. This song, released mindfully during Mental Health Awareness Month and written during the pandemic, is about isolation and loneliness. But Leavitt and co-writer Dan Nicklin don’t get bogged down in relentless boredom. Of course, they create space for reflection, but also leave room for a bit of big guitar and a bright melody.