Fontaines D.C. hold onto the top spot for a second week with “Marianne”, while Death Cab for Cutie slides into second place with “Stone Over Water” and Alabama Shakes‘ “I Feel Hope Coming” moves up to #3. The Foo Fighters enter the top 10 with “Window”.

Once again there are two new entries to my chart, the first being “Who’s That” by American rock band The War on Drugs. Formed in 2005 by Adam Granduciel and Kurt Vile, the band has undergone numerous changes in lineup and presently consists of Granduciel (vocals, guitar), David Hartley (bass), Robbie Bennett (keyboards), Charlie Hall (drums), Jon Natchez (saxophone, keyboards), Anthony LaMarca (guitar), and Eliza Hardy Jones (percussion, keyboards). Since 2008 they’ve released five albums, the last being I Don’t Live Here Anymore which dropped almost exactly four years ago today. Three of their songs have reached #1 on my chart – “Holding On” (2017), “Pain” (2018) and “I Don’t Live Here Anymore” (2021-22). Released on September 9th, “Who’s That” is their first new music in four years and the lead single from their forthcoming sixth album, the name of which hasn’t yet been revealed.

The second new entry is “Five” by Secret Postal Society, the music project of Welsh singer-songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist Craig Mapstone. He’s a thoughtful, generous and kind soul, and though we’ve never met in person, I’m quite fond of him on both a personal and professional level. We’ve been following each other on social media since early 2021, and I’ve written about him and his music several times over the past five years. Unable to play gigs or socialize during the Covid pandemic, he decided to challenge himself to write and record a new original song every week for an entire year of 2021, which he accomplished! Four of his songs – “Something From Nothing/Points of Light” (2021), “Autumn Leaves” (2024), “Scars” (2025) and “Heather” (earlier this year) – have appeared on my chart.

His latest single “Five” is a heartfelt plea for us to be more kind and understanding to ourselves and each other during these troubled and highly divisive times. Mapstone elaborates: “Written during a time of overwhelming negativity, fear and aggression in Western politics, society, economics and international relations, ‘Five’ began life as a protest song, and ended up as a reminder to each of us to look after ourselves and each other. When the world gets too much the chorus reminds us to “take a breath, count to five” and to never give up hope that things will change for the better.” He no longer has his music on Spotify, so I’m featuring his YouTube video for the track, in which he appears both honest and vulnerable:

1. MARIANNE – Fontaines D.C. (1)
2. STONE OVER WATER – Death Cab for Cutie (4)
3. I FEEL HOPE COMING – Alabama Shakes (5)
4. PRIVATE – The Neighbourhood (2)
5. LOST BOYS – Phoebe Bridgers (3)
6. LOSER – Tame Impala (6)
7. BEACHES IN TENNESSEE – Cage the Elephant (7)
8. WE MIGHT AS WELL BE STRANGERS – Weezer feat. Wednesday (8)
9. EDGE OF THE EARTH – The Beaches (10)
10. WINDOW – Foo Fighters (11)
11. METASTASIZED – Bealby Point (13)
12. I CAN TAKE THE SUN OUT OF THE SKY – Brigitte Calls Me Baby (9)
13. BEHIND THE LINES OF REASON – Harwicke Circus (14)
14. LOVE TO GO – Edgehill (16)
15. YOUNG AGAIN – Shinedown (17)
16. HIGH HOPES 3000 – ROLE MODEL (18)
17. BLACK DOG RABBIT HOLE – Devon Gilfillian (19)
18. GOOD TIMES // END TIMES – Goose (20)
19. ALREADY GONE – Orville Peck (21)
20. I KINDA LIKE THAT – The Paradox (22)
21. OH YEAH? – Steve Lacy (23)
22. EVERGREEN – Young the Giant (12)
23. REIN ME IN – Sam Fender & Olivia Dean (15)
24. EXIT SIGNS – LEAP (26)
25. BOTTLE – Remi Wolf (27)
26. BEDHEAD – Balu Brigada (29)
27. NEW AESTHETIC – Beach Weather (30)
28. NO MORE REGRETS – almost monday (25)
29. WHO’S THAT – The War on Drugs (N)
30. FIVE – Secret Postal Society (N)