Keeping track of all the new albums coming out in a given month is a big job, but we’re up for it: Below is a comprehensive list of the major releases you can look forward to in May. If you’re not trying to potentially miss out on anything, it might be a good idea to keep reading.
Friday, May 3
- Adeem the Artist — Anniversary (Four Quarters Records/Thirty Tigers)
- American Culture — Hey Brother, It’s Been A While (Convulse Records)
- Amy Aileen Wood — The Heartening (Colorfield Records)
- Better Than Ezra — Super Magick (Round Hill Records)
- Blushing — Sugarcoat (Kanine Records)
- The Bolshoi — Country Life (Beggars Banquet Records)
- Camera Obscura — Look to the East, Look to the West (Merge Records)
- Charlotte Day Wilson — Cyan Blues (XL Recordings)
- Chris Smither — All About the Bones (Signature Sounds/Mighty Albert)
- Dan Rincon — Spotlight City (Castle Face Records)
- David J — Tracks From the Attic (Independent Project Records)
- Dua Lipa — Radical Optimism (Warner Records UK)
- Elkka — Prism of Pleasure (Ninja Tune)
- Emily Barker — Fragile as Humans (Everyone Sang)
- Emily Nenni — Drive & Cry Man (New West Records)
- Frank Turner — Undefeated (Xtra Mile Recordings)
- ghost piss — Dream Girl (Sockhead Records)
- Hana Vu — Romanticism (Ghostly International)
- Home Counties — Exactly As It Seems (Submarine Cat Records)
- Ibibio Sound Machine — Pull The Rope (Merge Records)
- il sogno del marinaio — Terzo (Improved Sequence)
- Jawnino — 40 Tape (True Panther Records)
- Jess Locke — Real Life (Dot Dash Recordings)
- Jharis Yokley — Sometimes, Late At Night (Rainbow Blonde Records)
- John Carpenter — Lost Themes IV: Noir (Rodeo Suplex/Sacred Bones Records)
- Jon McKiel — Hex (You’ve Changed Records)
- Kacy Hill — Bug (Nettwerk)
- Kamasi Washington — Fearless Movement (Shoto Mas Inc./Young)
- Kee Avil — Spine (Constellation)
- Keith Wallen — Infinity Now (Rise Records)
- LA Priest — La Fusion EP (Domino)
- The Lemon Twigs — A Dream Is All We Know (Captured Tracks)
- Maurice White — Manifestation (Platinum Garage Recordings/SoulMusic Records)
- Mdou Moctar — Funeral For Justice (Matador Records)
- Milo Korbenski — When You Gonna Tell ’Em the Truth, Aaron? (Phantom Limb)
- Missio — I Am Cinco (Nettwerk)
- Naima — City Lights EP (NAIMA)
- Nell Mescal — Can I Miss It For a Minute? EP (LAB Records)
- No Windows — Point Nemo EP (Fat Possum)
- Nubiyan Twist — Find Your Flame (Strut Records)
- P.O.D. — VERITAS (Mascot Label Group/Mascot Records)
- Rachel Chinouriri — What a Devastating Turn of Events (Atlas Artists)
- Ruth Theodore — I Am I Am (Righteous Babe Records)
- S. Raekwon — Steven (Father/Daughter Records)
- Scott Guild & Cindertalk — Plastic: The Album (Echo House)
- Sia — Reasonable Woman (Monkey Puzzle/Atlantic Records)
- Snarls — With Love (Take This To Heart Records)
- Spice 1 — Platinum O.G.2 (Elder Entertainment)
- Tony Njoku — Last Bloom EP (PRAH Recordings)
- Wheel — Charismatic Leaders (InsideOutMusic)
- Willow — Empathogen (Three Six Zero/gamma)
- Winona Oak — Void EP (Nettwerk)
Friday, May 10
- A.G. Cook — Britpop (New Alias)
- Abigail Lapell — Anniversary (Outside Music)
- Alec Benjamin — 12 Notes (Atlantic/Elektra)
- Amen Dunes — Death Jokes (Sub Pop)
- Amy O — Mirror, Reflect (Winspear)
- Andra Day — CASSANDRA (cherith) (Warner)
- Angus & Julia Stone — Cape Forestier (Nettwerk)
- Arab Strap — I’m Totally Fine With It Don’t Give A Fuck Anymore (Rock Action Records)
- Arcadia Grey — Casually Crashing (Smartpunk Records)
- awfultune — unreleased demos II EP (awfultune)
- Bear McCreary — The Singularity (Sparks & Shadows Records)
- Bibi Club — Feu De Garde (Secret City Records)
- Big Special — Postindustrial Hometown Blues (SO Recordings)
- Chick Corea & Béla Fleck — Remembrance (Thirty Tigers)
- Dehd — Poetry (Fat Possum Records)
- Dreamer Boy — Lonestar (UMG)
- Emmy Meli — Hello Stranger EP (BMG)
- Flamingosis — Better Will Come (Kahuna Style)
- flypaper — another orbit EP (PNKSLM)
- The FMs — Pink + Black (Invasion Merch)
- Gabrielle — A Place in Your Heart (Tag8 Music)
- Greensky Bluegrass — The Iceland Sessions EP (Thirty Tigers)
- HAAL — Back to Shilmarine EP (Babka Records)
- Hot Water Music — Vows (Equal Vision Records)
- I. JORDAN — I AM JORDAN (Ninja Tune)
- Iglooghost — Tidal Memory Exo (LUCKYME)
- Jim White and Marisa Anderson — Swallowtail (Thrill Jockey)
- Jordan Rakei — The Loop (Universal)
- Judah & The Lion — The Process (Cletus the Van Records)
- Julia Pratt — Family Feud EP (RECORDS/Columbia)
- Karin Ann — through the telescope (3amRecords)
- Kelsey Waldon — There’s Always a Song (Oh Boy Records)
- Kings Of Leon — Can We Please Have Fun (LoveTap Records)
- Knocked Loose — You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To (Pure Noise Records)
- Lei Hope — Matrices EP (Heist or Hit)
- Les Savy Fav — OUI, LSF (Frenchkiss Records)
- Like Moths to Flames — The Cycles of Trying to Cope (UNFD)
- Lily Rose — Runnin’ Outta Time EP (Big Loud Records/Back Blocks Music)
- Lunchbox — Pop and Circumstance (Slumberland Records)
- Mary Lattimore and Walt McClements — Rain on the Road (Thrill Jockey)
- Mick Harvey — Five Ways to Say Goodbye (Mute)
- Milan Ring — Mangos (Astral People Recordings)
- Myriam Gendron — Mayday (Thrill Jockey)
- Orville Peck — Stampede Vol. 1 (Warner Records)
- Pete Muller — More Time (Two Truths Records)
- Pokey LaFarge — Rhumba Country (New West Records)
- Powerman 5000 — Abandon Ship (Cleopatra Records)
- Rainbow Kitten Surprise — Love Hate Music Box (RKS Recordings LLC)
- Ricky Montgomery — Rick(y) (Warner)
- Scotty McCreery — Rise and Fall (Triple Tigers)
- Sebastian Bach — Child Within the Man (Reigning Phoenix Music)
- Shannon and the Clams — The Moon is in the Wrong Place (Easy Eye Sound)
- Sonic Universe — It Is What It Is (earMUSIC)
- Speed Dealer Moms — Birth Control Pill EP (Evar Records)
- Stephan Moccio — Legends, Myths and Lavendar (Universal Music Operations Limited)
- Stretch Arm Strong — The Revealing EP (Iodine Recordings)
- Sublime with Rome — Sublime with Rome (5 Music Incorporated)
- Tom Skinner — Voices of Bishara Live at “mu” (International Anthem Recording Co.)
- Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats — Nell’ Ora Blu (Rise Above Limited)
- Various Artists — I Saw the TV Glow (The Original Soundtrack) (A24 Music)
- Victoria Bigelow — Songs For No One Vol. 2 EP (Immortal Records)
- Villagers — That Golden Time (Domino)
- Yaya Bey — Ten Fold (Big Dada)
- youbet — Way To Be (Hardly Art)
Friday, May 17
- Alana Yorke — Destroyer (Paper Bag Records)
- Alessandro “Asso” Stefana — Alessandro “Asso” Stefana (Ipecac Recordings)
- Ani DiFranco — Unprecedented Sh!t (Righteous Babe Records)
- The Avett Brothers — The Avett Brothers (American/Republic)
- Beth Gibbons — Lives Outgrown (Domino)
- Billie Eilish — Hit Me Hard And Soft (Darkroom/Interscope Records)
- Blitzen Trapper — 100’s of 1000’s, Millions of Billions (Yep Roc Records)
- Bright Light Bright Light — Enjoy Youth (YSKWN!/Rod Thomas)
- Cage the Elephant — Neon Pill (RCA Records)
- Collective Soul — Here to Eternity (Fuzze-Flex Records)
- Crumb — AMAMA (Crumb Records)
- Dog Party — Dangerous (Sneak Dog Records)
- Don McLean — American Boys (Don McLean Music)
- Ghostly Kisses — Darkroom (Akira Records)
- girli — Matriarchy (AllPoints/Believe UK)
- Guppy — Something is Happening… (Lauren Records)
- Guster — Ooh La La (Ocho Mule)
- Isobel Campbell — Bow To Love (Cooking Vinyl)
- Jack Savoretti — Miss Italia (Lanza Music Limited)
- John Oates — Reunion (Jasper Productions)
- Joywave — Permanent Pleasure (Cultco Music/Hollywood Records)
- Kate Hudson — Glorious (HK Music)
- Lightheaded — Combustible Gems (Slumberland Records)
- Lip Critic — Hex Dealer (Partisan Records)
- Little Feat — Sam’s Place (Hot Tomato Productions)
- The Lovely Eggs — Eggsistentialism (The Lovely Eggs)
- Marty Friedman — Drama (Frontiers Records)
- Mat Kearney — Mat Kearney (Tomorrow Music)
- The Mavericks — Moon & Stars (Mono Mundo Recordings)
- New Kids on the Block — Still Kids (NKOTB Music)
- Of Montreal — Lady on the Cusp (Polyvinyl Record Co.)
- One Step Closer — All You Embrace (Run For Cover Records)
- Phoebe Go — Marmalade (Phoebe Go)
- Rachael Sage — Another Side (MPress Records)
- Ruth Moody — Wanderer (Ruth Moody)
- Sasha Alex Sloan — Me Again (Sue Perb Records/Hills Artists/Virgin Music)
- Shaznay Lewis — Pages (1.9.7.5 Recordings)
- Slash — Orgy of the Damned (Snakepit Records)
- SQÜRL — Music for Man Ray (Sacred Bones Records)
- Zayn — Room Under the Stairs (Drop Zed Music)
- Zero Point Energy — Titled Planet (Danger Collective)
Friday, May 24
- Aja — Ajasphère Vol. II (Aja)
- Andrew Bird Trio — Sunday Morning Put-On (Loma Vista)
- Aquaserge — La fin de l’economie (Crammed Discs/Aquaserge)
- Bess Atwell — Light Sleeper (Real Kind Records)
- Bill MacKay — Locust Land (Drag City)
- Brian Eno, Holger Czukay, and J. Peter Schwalm — Sushi! Roti! Reibekuchen! (Groenland Records)
- Capstan — The Mosaic (Fearless Records)
- Carlos Niño & Friends — Placenta (International Anthem)
- Cosmo Midnight — Stop Thinking Start Feeling (RCA)
- DIIV — Frog in Boiling Water (Fantasy Records)
- Field Guide — Rootin’ For Ya (Birthday Cake Records)
- Finom — Not God (Joyful Noise Recordings)
- Gastr del Sol — We Have Dozens of Titles (Drag City)
- Girl and Girl — Call A Doctor (Sub Pop)
- Halima — EXU EP (drink sum wtr)
- Jessica Pratt — Here in the Pitch (City Slang)
- Kiesza — Dancing and Crying: Vol 1 (Zebra Spirit Tribe)
- Kim Richey — Every New Beginning (Yep Roc Records)
- La Luz — News of the Universe (Sub Pop Records)
- Lenny Kravitz — Blue Electric Light (Roxie Records)
- Lip Filler — witchescrew EP (Chess Club Records)
- Low Hum — Terra Incognita (Last Gang Records/MNRK Music Group LP)
- Machinedrum — 3FOR82 (Ninja Tune)
- Motorists — Touched by the Stuff (We Are Time)
- mui zyu — nothing or something to die for (Father/Daughter Records)
- Nathaniel Russell — Songs Of (Psychic Hotline)
- Pardoner — Paranoid in Hell EP (Convulse Records)
- Paul Weller — 66 (Solid Bond Productions)
- Rami Gabriel — That’s What I’ve Been Sayin’ (Sooper Records)
- RM — Right Place, Wrong Person (Big Hit)
- Slow Fiction — Crush EP (So Young Records)
- Softcult — Heaven EP (Easy Life Records)
- Tim Easton — Find Your Way (Black Mesa Records)
- Travis Denning — Roads That Go Nowhere (UMG)
- Twenty One Pilots — Clancy (Fueled By Ramen)
- Vintage Culture — Promised Land (Vintage Culture)
- Wallows — Model (Atlantic)
- Young Jesus — The Fool (Saddle Creek)
Friday, May 31
- +/- {Plus/Minus} — Further Afield (Ernest Jenning)
- Akira Kosemura & Lawrence English — Selene (Temporary Residence Ltd.)
- Alan Vega — Insurrection (In The Red)
- Anastasia Coope — Darning Woman (Jagjaguwar)
- Anna Tivel — Living Thing (Fluff and Gravy Records)
- Another Michael — Pick Me Up, Turn Me Upside Down (Run For Cover Records)
- Arooj Aftab — Night Reign (Verve Label Group)
- Bad Nerves — Still Nervous (Lowly)
- Bat For Lashes — The Dream of Delphi (Universal)
- Becky Hill — Believe Me Now? (Universal)
- Bernard Butler — Good Grief (355 Recordings)
- Big Head Todd and the Monsters — Her Way Out (Todd Park Mohr Publishing Company)
- The Bird Calls — Old Faithful (Ruination Record Co.)
- Crowded House — Gravity Stairs (BMG)
- Habibi — Dreamachine (Kill Rock Stars)
- Idaho — Lapse (Arts & Crafts)
- Imogen Clark — The Art of Getting Through (Imogen Clark)
- Jon Muq — Flying Away (Easy Eye Sound)
- King Hannah — Big Swimmer (City Slang)
- Lowlives — Freaking Out (Spinefarm)
- Lucius — Wildewoman (The New Recordings) (Fantasy)
- The Marías — Submarine (The Marías)
- Maya Hawke — Chaos Angel (Mom+Pop)
- Nestor — Teenage Rebel (Napalm Records)
- Neutrals — New Town Dream (Static Shock Records)
- Odesza — The Last Goodbye Tour Live (Foreign Family Collective)
- Peter Bibby — Drama King (Spinning Top Records)
- Richard Hawley — In This City They Call You Love (BMG)
- Richard Thompson — Ship to Shore (New West Records)
- Swamp Dogg — Blackgrass: From West Virginia to 125th St (Oh Boy Records)
- Unessential Oils — Unessential Oils (Warren Spicer)
- Willie Nelson — The Border (Sony Music Entertainment)
- Winnetka Bowling League — Sha La La (Local Weather/MDDN Records)
- The Woggles — Time Has Come (Wicked Cool Records)
- Zolita — Queen of Hearts (AWAL)