London, England-based Frank Joshua – an enigmatic but enormously talented singer-songwriter and producer who, wanting his music to speak for itself, shares no photos of himself – has become a favorite of mine on the strength of his gorgeous baritone voice and beguiling adult contemporary music style. The prolific artist has released a staggering amount of music over the past four years or so, including three albums, an EP and 43 singles! Every one of his songs is a captivating feast for the ears, and I love them all. I’ve previously written about four of them, most recently this past February when I reviewed his marvelous single “Walls”. After a long but steady climb, the song has finally reached #1 in its 14th week on my chart. It’s his first song to top my chart; his singles “Bluebell Wood” reached #6 in 2023 and “Winter Cowboy” reached #3 in 2024. Since “Walls”, Frank has released two more singles, including “These Words” which dropped this past Thursday, May 23rd. All of his singles have been released via British music label Numen Records.

Although Frank writes some of his songs, like the majority of his singles, “Walls” was written by his frequent collaborator Simon Pitheakley, and produced by Tony White. And like all his songs, this one’s a beauty, with gorgeous reverb-drenched bluesy guitars accompanied by warm piano keys, soaring orchestral synths and gently crashing cymbals layered over a sensuous pulsating beat. It all creates a glorious cinematic backdrop for Frank’s melancholy yet captivating vocals which are both passionate and heartfelt. It’s become my favorite of all his songs, and I never tire of listening to it. The poetic lyrics speak of the challenges of growing older and maintaining a long-term relationship, in which there’s often a tug of war between the comfort and security that comes from being with a devoted loved one, and the primal urge to be independent and free of responsibility or commitment – something I’ve long struggled with myself.

In other chart news of note, The Black Keys hold at #2 with “The Night Before”, and Fontaines D.C. move up a notch to #3 with “It’s Amazing To Be Young”. Maryland shoegaze/indie rock band Icarus Phoenix enters the top 10 with their beautiful song “Poor Sad Indie Everything”, and “Nothing I Need” by Lord Huron is the biggest upward mover this week, jumping eight spots to #17.

The one new debut this week is “Scars”, a heartwarming song of love and empathy by Welsh artist Secret Postal Society, the music project of singer-songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist Craig Mapstone. In addition to being a talented, hard-working artist, Craig’s a thoughtful, generous and kind soul, and though we’ve never met in person, I’ve grown quite fond of him on both a personal and professional level. It’s his third song to appear on my chart, the first being “Something From Nothing/Points of Light” in 2022 and more recently “Autumn Leaves”, which spent 19 weeks on my chart from late November 2024-early April 2025, peaking at #3 in March.

1. WALLS – Frank Joshua (3)
2. THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (2)
3. IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (4)
4. TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (1)
5. BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (5)
6. MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (6)
7. THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (7)
8. LAREDO – Leon Bridges (9)
9. SNAKESKIN – NAVE (10)
10. POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (13)
11. ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (14)
12. ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (15)
13. BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (16)
14. PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (17)
15. LET THINGS GO – Caamp (18)
16. METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (8)
17. NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (25)
18. BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (21)
19. TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (11)
20. RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (12)
21. THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (22)
22. EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (23)
23. SO LONG – Wavves (24)
24. BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (29)
25. CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (28)
26. RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (26)
27. SPACEMAN IN TULSA – Counting Crows (30)
28. STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (19)
29. IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (20) 19th week on chart
30. SCARS – Secret Postal Society (N)