Quarterly Report: Best Albums And Reissues of First Quarter 2020
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