Weezer, Olivia Rodrigo, St. Vincent, and 19 more albums we can’t wait to hear in May

Summer is on its way, and unsurprisingly, the list of albums coming out in May is at least partially a reflection of that. A lot of these records are livelier and sunnier than their wintertime counterparts—but also compared with last year’s summer releases, many of which saw significant delays thanks to the pandemic. But as the world wakes up, thanks to mass vaccination, the soundtrack should be excellent: New music from St. Vincent, NCT Dream, Mannequin Pussy, and more. Whether you’re finishing up the school year or just getting ready to start leaving work early on Fridays now and again, it’s nice to know your ears will be ready to party, too. (And if you don’t feel like being cheery, fear not—there’s a few great metal albums on the horizon, too.)

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Sufjan Stevens, Convocations [May 6]

After a month of rolling out a separate section every week, the complete Convocations, a five-volume, 49-track collection of instrumental music from Sufjan Stevens, will finally be released in its completed version this month. The work is said to be a tribute to his father, who passed away two days after the release of in September 2020, with each volume representing a different stage of mourning. It’s a massive, and massively immersive, album, somber and soulful in its oft-ambient beauty. [Alex McLevy]