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
Cindy Lee — Diamond Jubilee
A double album can turn out one of two ways: a bloated, indulgent disaster of ego and misguided ambition or a dialed-in magnum opus simply brimming with too many ideas to fit onto a single disc. Luckily, Cindy Lee’s Diamond Jubilee lands firmly in the latter. A transgressive work of outsider psych-pop made all the more mysteriously enchanting by its unique distribution (released exclusively via YouTube and GeoCities), listening to Patrick Flegel’s latest effort under their post-Women moniker feels like being half-asleep while watching a busted VHS compilation of ’60s television. Retaining the low-fi noisiness of 2020’s What’s Tonight to Eternity, Diamond Jubilee dials back the abrasion to let Flegel’s melodies (often washed out and sometimes hard-panned to one channel) and off-kilter production take center stage. It’s certainly a dazzling work in Flegel’s catalog, and a particularly joyous one at that — call it a Diamond Jubilee. — J. Krueger
Listen via YouTube
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 – 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
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