“Sally, Sally, let’s drop this bomb,” T. Thomason sings on the opener of his new EP, Sweet Baby. And when the drums kick in, that bomb is laid: on this collection of five songs, Thomason has left any folk leanings behind and replaced them with pop-rock riffs that could fill a stadium.

You may know T. Thomason as Molly Thomason, who put out three records in four years, collecting some East Coast Music Award nominations and making it as a finalist for the John Lennon Songwriting Contest by the age of 19. In 2016, Molly transitioned to T. Thomason, and set to work on a new debut.

“I took time off music to do my personal life for about two years, and now figuring out my identity as an artist feels like the next step,” Thomason wrote in a press release. “I am definitely excited about the musical direction things are moving in, though, and I think that is a huge part of this unfolding of identity.”

After hitting play, you may also know this EP: May 12 marks Sweet Baby’s official release on Rae Spoon’s label, Coax Records, but Thomason released the album independently via Bandcamp last year. The plan is still the same as it was last year: two more EPs to follow Sweet Baby’s label release.

But any reason is a good one to revisit these five songs. “My Kind,” which took Thomason to the top 25 in this year’s Searchlight contest, is a blistering, over-the-top declaration of love, while “Mama’s Boy” — “Yes, that is my ma at the beginning of ‘Mama’s Boy’!” Thomason wrote via email — dials the volume back a little to focus on Thomason’s lyrics, brimming with foot-stomping and sing-along potential. But the song that sticks longest is closer "The Wait," where Thomason's vocals take hold as he plays with the meaning of "wait" versus "weight." Sweet Baby doesn't quite hit the 20-minute mark, so you'll be playing this on repeat a few times.

Sweet Baby will be released May 12. Pre-order it here.