Eight Albums to Watch for in May 2017

It’s the first week in May! One of the best months for new album releases, now is the perfect time to take a look at some of the LPs we can be expecting in the next 31 days.

May is packed to the gills with some pretty amazing releases. From punk/new wave pioneers Blondie to pop-rockers Paramore and electro-hip-hop rockers Linkin Park, rock music will be well represented this month. Even At The Drive-In is releasing new music for the first time in nearly two decades. May will also see the full-length debut of AFI/No Doubt collaboration, Dreamcar, as well as the highly hyped return of Lana Del Rey. As for rap, Faith Evans is releasing her duet album with late husband Notorious B.I.G.

We here at Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, love the prospect of getting to hear new music. That is why we’ve compiled this list of eight albums coming out in May that we think will be worth looking out for.

1.       At The Drive-in, ‘In-ter a-li-a’: After a shaky start to their 2012 reunion, At The Drive-In have finally cemented their return with a new album. ‘In-ter a-li-a’ is the band’s first new studio album in nearly 17 years. The album’s single, “Governed By Contagions,’ proves that that band can rock just as hard as they did before breaking up in 2001. (5/5)

2.       Blondie, ‘Pollinator’: Blondie have been fairly consistently releasing music together for the last 40 years and will continue that streak when they release their 11^th studio album, ‘Pollinator,’ on May 5. This is the first time the band has decided to collaborate with other artists on songwriting, bringing new perspectives and fresh voices into the fold. From the singles, it still sounds like Blondie, but a new Blondie for modern times. (5/5)

3.       Black Lips, ‘Satan’s Graffiti Or God’s Art?’: Produced by Sean Lennon, the son of legendary Beatle John Lennon, Black Lips’ new album, ‘Satan’s Graffiti Or God’s Art?’ has been more than a year in the making. The album features a collaboration with Saul Adamczewski of Fat White Family, as well as Yoko Ono, who can be heard screaming on the band’s latest single, “Occidental Front.”(5/5)

4.       Dreamcar, ‘Dreamcar’: As a fan of both AFI and No Doubt, I’m really excited for this collaboration. Davey Havok’s voice melds really well with the catchy 80’s synth-pop instrumentals Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont and Adrian Young are laying down for this project. If you haven’t heard “Kill For Candy” yet, you really should, because it is fantastic. (5/12)

5.       Paramore, ‘After Laughter’: Recently reunited with original drummer Zac Farro, Paramore are continuing their transition from female-fronted pop-punk powerhouse to radio-friendly pop juggernauts with their new album, ‘After Laughter.’ The album’s lead single, “Hard Times,” is a fun, 80s-inspired pop-rock piece, guaranteed to have you singing and dancing along. (5/12)

6.       Faith Evans and The Notorious B.I.G., ‘The King & I’: It has been 20 years since The Notorious B.I.G. was fatally shot, so the premise of a new album from the legendary rapper seems a bit outlandish. However, with Faith Evans, to whom he was married at the time of his death, at the helm, one would hope that she is able to do right by his memory. Two singles have already been released and they seem more like a tribute to him than collaboration. We’ll see if that was the right way to go when the album is released later this month. (5/19)

7.       Linkin Park, ‘One More Light’: If the singles Linkin Park has been releasing lately are any indication, ‘One More Light’ is going to be a very different album than the one’s people are used to hearing from the band. According to the band, the album was more of a collaborative effort that was supposed to challenge the normal way the band writes music. The album ended up guitar heavy, with songs like “Heavy” forgoing the band’s typical electronic and hip-hop elements all together to focus completely on melody. (5/19)

8.       Lana Del Rey, ‘Lust For Life’: After much teasing, Lana Del Rey returns at the end of this month with a new album, ‘Lust For Life,’ her first in nearly three years. From the singles she has released so far, it seems like her sound won’t venture too far out of the box, remaining as dreamy as ever. (5/26)

Whether you are into rock, pop or hip-hop, May is shaping up to be a great month for new albums. Check out our choices for most anticipated albums of the month and be sure to let us know what albums you’re excited to hear.

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