It's the single released 8 months before the album release date that irks me. It kills momentum. Release the 1st single a month before the album release date.
It's like artists/record labels are treating albums like they're blockbuster Hollywood films, which release teaser trailers 6-8 months ahead, and then two or three theatrical trailers in the 3-4 months leading up to the release date.
Some labels (looking at you Inside Out) have been on the train of releasing at least 3 singles for most new albums in the 2-3 months leading up to release, with the first one at time of reveal, another about a month later, and the a third one when the album is coming out. Like...we get it. And a single released on release date feels redundant to me. If you're already invested in the album, you're going to hear the whole thing that weekend anyway, so why bother with a "single" other than to make another promotional video (most of which are intangible graphics of lyrics floating in a void anyway).
I'd say *one* single at the time of reveal with pre-orders and press kits, and then release the album a month or six weeks later. These long, drawn-out waits between reveal and release are starting to make me forget what I've ordered and what's about to come out. Thankfully we've got the Album Release Date Calendar pinned in this forum, because otherwise, I'd be Googling a lot of album release dates for things that aren't due for another 3 or 4 months.
-Marc.