Disclaimers:

The following lists cover albums released between January 1, 2020 and March 31, 2020, so the handful of fine albums that were released today aren't included (Ashley McBryde's Never Will, for instance). There are also a fair number of albums I have yet to hear that I'm fairly certain I will like a lot, such as Dua Lipa's Future Nostalgia. So, what follows are my favorite albums and reissues that I heard in the first quarter of 2020, ranked in a loose order of preference. Don't hold me to these rankings, though: by the end of the year, the order could shift quite a bit. 

NEW ALBUMS

Soccer Mommy—Color Theory

Stephen Malkmus—Traditional Techniques

Brandy Clark—Your Life Is A Record

Lilly Hiatt—Walking Proof

Waxahatchee—Saint Cloud

Caroline Rose—Superstar

Puss N Boots—Sister

Kelsea Ballerini—Kelsea

Aubrie Sellers—Far From Home

Drive-By Truckers—The Unraveling

Pearl Jam—Gigaton

The Cadillac Three—Country Fuzz

Huey Lewis & The News—Weather

Little Big Town—Nightfall

Frances Quinlan—Likewise

Torres—Silver Tongue

Early James—Singing For My Supper

Selena Gomez—Rare

Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real—Naked Garden

Ben Watt—Storm Damage

Della Mae—Headlight

Aoife Nessa Frances—Land of No Junction

Carly Pearce—Carly Pearce

Algiers—There Is No Year

Pet Shop Boys—Hotspot

Courtney Barnett—MTV Unplugged: Live In Melbourne

Kesha—High Road

Black Lips—Sing in a World That's Falling Apart

REISSUES

Tea & Symphony: The English Baroque Sound 1968-1974 [Ace]

Supergrass—The Strange Ones 1994-2008

Def Leppard—The Early Years 79-81 

Bob Stanley & Pete Wiggs Present The Tears Of Technology [Ace]

Cream—Goodbye Tour Live 1968

Mojo Nixon—The Mojo Manifesto: The Original Album Collection

Grateful Dead—June 1976

Big Joe Turner—The Complete Boss Of The Blues [Bear Family]

The Everly Brothers—Down In The Bottom: The Country Rock Sessions 1966-1968 [Cherry Red]

Destination Lust—The World Of Love, Sex And Violence: 32 Erotic Fantasies From The Vault [Bear Family]

Game Theory—Across The Barrier Of Sound: PostScript

Scott Walker Meets Jacques Brel [Ace]

Elton John—Live from Moscow 1979