Staff Picks: Favorite Albums of March 2024
The post Staff Picks: Favorite Albums of March 2024 appeared first on Consequence.
April is here, Aries season has begun, and spring is springing. Luckily, as the weather warms up and the flowers keep blooming, we have several wonderful records from March to enjoy.
The biggest name to release music this past month may have been Beyoncé, who dropped her sprawling, masterful eighth album, Cowboy Carter, last Friday. Also offering memorable returns are Kacey Musgraves, ScHoolboy Q, Adrienne Lenker, Faye Webster, and more.
Listed in alphabetical order, here are the best albums of March 2024 as selected by Consequence writers and editors.
Adrianne Lenker — Bright Future
The ever-prolific Big Thief songwriter Adrianne Lenker is back with her latest solo venture, Bright Future. Much like her last solo outing, the appropriately-titled songs, Bright Future is stripped-back and softer in feel when compared to her work with Big Thief. Recorded in her bedroom, Lenker leans into the space present on her latest batch of songs, letting the creaks and natural reverb of her homey setting dominate the project’s delicate tone. Take the new version of Big Thief favorite “Vampire Empire,” which boasts compressed-as-hell vocals, sporadic low-fi piano notes, and a free-wheeling violin. It’s intentionally a little rough around the edges, allowing the emotions of Lenker’s performance to shine through. — Jonah Krueger
Listen via Apple Music
Beyoncé – COWBOY CARTER
One of the most exciting albums of 2024 has arrived with Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER, Act II in the Renaissance Trilogy. It’s a thrilling exploration of genre and identity, unpacking and rebuilding country music staples through the distinct lens of one of our greatest pop figures. In this writer’s opinion, COWBOY CARTER is definitely best enjoyed in full and in order, but finding favorites is an inevitable part of that journey; from the raucous, toe-tapping energy of “YA YA” to the genuine emotion of “II HANDS II HEAVEN,” the album is a knockout. — Mary Siroky
Listen via Apple Music
Carpool – My Life in Subtitles
Holy moly, does Carpool have hooks for days. The Rochester act expertly taps into the intersection of pop-punk and power-pop that has been all the rage in certain DIY circles, capping off their energetic compositions with hooks so sticky the record should require a warning label. The wonderfully addictive “Can We Just Get High?” serves as perhaps the most potent and succinct example of Carpool’s abilities, while tracks like “Open Container Blues” and “Thom Yorke New City” showcase the band’s greater ambitions. It’s yet another step up for the band, and one fans of the style shouldn’t miss. — J. Krueger
Listen via Apple Music
Faye Webster – Underdressed at the Symphony
Faye Webster is underdressed and running on instinct. The accomplished, idiosyncratic songwriter (and the subject of our latest cover story) arrives with perhaps the most Faye Webster-y Faye Webster album yet. Underdressed at the Symphony is a collection of instinctual, playful tracks that reflect the contradiction that lies at the center of her music — the interplay between being reserved and being vulnerable. The result is a project that’s comfortable and compelling, with excellent musicianship and a streak of experimentation running throughout. — J. Krueger
Listen via Apple Music
Kacey Musgraves – A Deeper Well
Miss Musgraves really did knock it out of the park with her sixth studio album, a heartfelt and gorgeously constructed collection of music that revolves heavily around nature and all its magic. The album is full of love stories and heartache, reflections on the past and imagination for the future, and it’s all perfectly balanced by Kacey’s vocals. “The Architect” has emerged as a fan favorite, but don’t sleep on the lush, mystical “Jade Green” or lovely “Sway.” — M. Siroky
Listen via Apple Music
Kim Gordon – The Collective
Kim Gordon’s new album feels like a cathartic release: a response to the world’s never-ending chaos for the doom-scrolling generation over a backdrop of harsh noise and trap-influenced instrumentals. The legendary Sonic Youth musician joined forces with producer Justin Raisen, embracing a beat-driven sound that exudes dark energy but feels inviting at the same time. The Collective reminds us that we can never fully escape from our problems. — Sun Noor
Listen via Apple Music
Mannequin Pussy – I Got Heaven
Mannequin Pussy started as one of those rousing, chaotic punk bands with songs shorter than 60 seconds and an unfettered sense of urgency. Tracking their evolution from then to this month’s I Got Heaven is remarkable, because they’ve transformed into one of the very best rock bands around today, and their use of space and dynamics is wildly impressive. There are still those quick-fire bursts and some primal immediacy, of course, alongside these larger ideas. If this is what they can do 10 years in, imagine what they’ll sound like 10 years from now. — Paolo Ragusa
Listen via Apple Music
MIKE, Tony Seltzer – Pinball
Just a few months after the release of his second album of 2023, Brooklyn-based rap prodigy MIKE has returned with another full-length release. This time linking up with producer Tony Seltzer, Pinball features a wide range of guests including Earl Sweatshirt, Tony Shhnow, Niontay, and Jay Critch, taking a more lighthearted approach compared to the rapper’s previous material. The album presents a refreshing entry to MIKE’s catalog and is without a doubt among the strongest hip-hop releases of the year so far. — S. Noor
Listen via Apple Music
Ride – Interplay
On Interplay, Ride craft songs that sound like they’ve always existed within their 30-year catalogue while also sounding deeply new and refreshing. The shoegaze titans physicalize the album’s title by offering dozens of extraordinary shared musical moments, each member of the quartet honing the perfect part and emphasizing beauty and companionship above all else. “Portland Rocks,” an Andy Bell-led song in the back half of Interplay, might be one of Ride’s best songs ever, and it’s situated amidst several other contenders. — P. Ragusa
Listen via Apple Music
ScHoolboy Q – Blue Lips
All hail ScHoolboy Q, the once and future king of windows-down, speakers-up bangers. “Yeern 101?” Banger. “Pop” featuring Rico Nasty and “oHio” with Freddie Gibbs? Bangers. “THank god 4 me?” Sometimes we like to bang all slowly and in our feelings, ok? If you’re not about stuff like ‘fun’ and hooks that make you want to holler along, then by all means, keep moving. But if you do enjoy those things, Blue Lips is about as good as it gets. — Wren Graves
Listen via Apple Music
Sheer Mag – Playing Favorites
Sheer Mag have classics up their sleeve with each release, and Playing Favorites — their first for Third Man Records — is no different. Songs like “Moonstruck” and “All Lined Up” aren’t just total bangers, they’re slightly unpredictable, filled with signature touches, inspired guitar work, and astonishing vocals from singer Tina Halliday. Speaking to Consequence, the band claims they almost released half of the album’s songs as an EP, but opted to round it out as a full album instead. We’re thankful they did, because it is one of the most stacked albums we’ve seen from them yet. — P. Ragusa
Listen via Apple Music
Tierra Whack – World Wide Whack
Tierra Whack’s second debut album (blame the label) was well worth the five-year wait. The Philadelphia MC has a sly sense of humor and original taste in beats, which is why we’ve had the singles “MS BEHAVE” and “CHANEL PIT”on repeat since they dropped. The rest of World Wide Whack more than holds up, ranging from some of the wildest hip-hop of the year to chilled-out pop. The results are daring, cohesive in a way that few but Whack could manage, and never boring. — W. Graves
Listen via Apple Music
Waxahatchee – Tigers Blood
Waxahatchee’s excellent 2021 record Saint Cloud felt like a breakthrough, the start of something new and beautiful for an artist who had already more than proven herself as both a songwriter and performer. With Tigers Blood, Katie Crutchfield confirms Saint Cloud was about anything but a fluke, as the record offers yet another helping of beautifully written songs steeped in alt-country vibes. With help from MJ Lenderman, Tigers Blood signals that Crutchfield is still growing, both personally and artistically, and with songs this compelling, thank God she’s bringing us along for the ride. — J. Krueger
Listen via Apple Music
Staff Picks: Favorite Albums of March 2024
Consequence Staff
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