No, not that stimulus package. This one is the recently released CD from Weston High School’s own à cappella group, the Town Criers. Released in September on Apple’s iTunes Store, Stimulus Package is a flawless collection of eleven songs sung in perfect harmony by ten of our students: at the time Brad Braunstein, Mikey Bullister, Robert Charpie, Josh Chopak, Ben Doyle, Eric Doyle, Ben Heath, Gabe Nelson, Nolan Neu, and Matt Sanda. (High-school students, unfortunately, have a bad habit of graduating every four years, so the ensemble is already slightly different, but they’re still excellent.) Every song on Stimulus Package is a gem; either they’re naturally brilliant or else they put in huge amounts of rehearsing — or probably both.

When I listen to the songs on this album, I keep wondering if I’m biased because I have taught several of the performers, and because they are all students at the school where I teach. But no, it’s not that. Regardless of personal connections, I am completely confident that this is objectively a first-rate ensemble that makes beautiful music.

Here’s a list of all the tracks:

1. I Can See Clearly
2. Breakfast at Tiffany’s
3. The Lion Sleeps Tonight
4. The Longest Time
5. Heartless
6. Crazy
7. Soul Meets Body
8. So Cold
9. Sound of Silence
10. Harder, Better, Faster, Criers
11. In the End

Categories: Weston