From perpetual favourites The Cure and U2, to tempting collaborations and bright new things She & Him, there's plenty of ear candy headed your way this summer, writes Tony Clayton-Lea

GLEN CAMPBELL
Meet Glen Campbell
Following hot on the heels of Neil Diamond, the original Rhinestone Cowboy gets contemporary on our collective ass with an album of countrified cover versions. Songs featured include Sing(Travis), Jesus(Velvet Underground) and All I Want Is You(U2). August

COLDPLAY
Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends
Chris Martin and co are back, not with their Kid A, but with an album different enough to ward off accusations of the familiar/similar variety. Brian Eno co-produces. Expect it to sell in bucket-loads. June 13th

THE CURE
Title TBC
Amazingly, the post-punk boys from Croydon are still around, albeit in the nominal form of lead singer-songwriter Robert Smith. This is the band's 13th album, and their first in four years; in an unusual move, the release of the album is preceded by four single releases, the second of which is Freakshow(out June 13th). August

DIRTY PRETTY THINGS
Romance at Short Notice
Former Libertines shining light Carl Barat favours melody over punk/pop thrash on this, the band's second album. Pete Doherty? Does anyone really care any more? June 30th

THE DODOS
Visiter
San Francisco's Dodos have been creating a mega-buzz for the past two years with their hypnotic nu-folk and breezy, naive tunes; a barnstorming series of appearances at this year's SXSW clinched the deal. They make their Irish debut at Dublin's Crawdaddy next Friday, June 13th. July 7th

MARIANNE FAITHFULL
Easy Come, Easy Go
Another oldie, another covers album. The perennially hip Faithfull reshapes the likes of Morrissey's Dear God Please Help Me, Merle Haggard's Sing Me Back Homeand Dolly Parton's Down from Dover. September

GREEN DAY
Title TBC
Following their ambitious, career-defining concept album, American Idiot, could be tricky - rumours persist that the band's political agenda is still floating around and that, like American Idiot, this album will be released to coincide with the US presidential election race. August

ALBERT HAMMOND JR
¿Cómo Te Llama?
The Strokes guitarist self-produces his second solo album, the three primary influences being Crazy Horse-era Neil Young, The Clash and The Kinks. Factor in Hammond's innate sense of pop nous and you've got yourself a bona fide soundtrack for the sunshine. July 11th

PJ HARVEY
Title TBC
Following her superb, spectral White Chalkalbum of last year was always going to be a problem, but Harvey loves not just a challenge but also a change of direction. Here, she collaborates with long-time colleague John Parish on songs that vary stylistically from surging sonic assaults to pretty, serene tunes. Always a pleasure. September

THE HOLD STEADY
Stay Positive
If you're ready to hear Dinosaur Jr's J Mascis play a lengthy solo (er, on a banjo), some Led Zeppelin-inspired riffage and a lyrical theme that revolves around how to balance punk-rock ideals with bringing up kids and paying the mortgage, then this new album from the Brooklyn-based rockers is most assuredly for you. July 18th

HANDSOME FAMILY
Lovebirds
Don't be scared, but this is Brett and Rennie Spark's first album of love songs. Considering their previous records touched on subjects as sombre as rotting corpses and kidnapped children, we can take it as something of a departure. August

PATTI SMITH/KEVIN SHIELDS
The Coral Sea
A fascinating collaborative album from the beautiful Smith - the witchy doyenne of contemporary poetry, who in this outing intones a lengthy poem in memory of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe - and My Bloody Valentine's serrated-edge ambient guitarist Shields. July 4

CONOR OBERST
Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band
Fear not, Bright Eyes fans - this is not your typical sideline vanity project, but rather Oberst minus his usual Bright Eyes producer Mike Mogis. The theme mirrors the spookiness of Bright Eyes' Cassadagaalbum, but the songs are closer to the lo-fi stylings of I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning. A win-win situation. August 4th

THE ONLY ONES
Title TBC
One of the best post-punk bands reformed last year, and were due to play Dublin in April but postponed. Their first album in decades, then, is highly anticipated. Song titles include The Human Raceand Black Operations. September

SHE & HIM
Volume One
"She" is kookie Hollywood actor Zooey Deschanel; "he" is alt.folk singer M Ward. Together, She & Him produce the kind of record that Hem fans have been waiting ages to get their hands on: sweet'n'sour words and music, and vocal interplay that's downright gorgeous. And Volume One? You mean there's more to come? July 18th

U2
Boy, October, War
Following the re-mastered release last year of The Joshua Tree, the first three U2 albums get similar treatment. Overseen by U2's Edge, the re-issues come in different physical and digital formats: standard single CD, deluxe double CD (which includes a disc of b-sides, live tracks and rarities) and 180gm "virgin" vinyl. Also included are new packaging, previously unseen photos, full lyrics and linear notes (Paul Morley for Boy; Neil McCormick for October; Niall Stokes for War). All this, and a new album before the end of the year? StrU2th! July 18th

THE VERVE
Title TBC
The most unforeseen Britpop reunion came about just before 2008 when the original Verve four-piece played their first shows since 1998. From then, it has been heads-down, no-nonsense songwriting and recording. What will it sound like? Like The Verve, of course. September

PATRICK WOLF
Title TBC
Known primarily as one of London's more eccentric songwriters and singers, Wolf also has direct Irish roots (his family are from West Cork), and this album is heavily influenced by, says Wolf, "Gaelic folk songs". August

Also scheduled for release are new albums from:
Arctic Monkeys, Pete Doherty, Dr Dre, Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, Keane, The Killers, The Klaxons, Massive Attack, Morrissey, My Chemical Romance, Oasis, The Streets, U2