The cinematic anthem “back to friends” by sombr holds onto the top spot for a second week, while Lord Huron‘s “Nothing I Need” remains at #2 again after spending two weeks at #1. Irish pop rock band Somebody’s Child moves up a spot to #3 with their beautiful “Porcelain (Losing All My Patience)” and Australian duo Royel Otis slide into fourth place with “moody”.
There are three new debuts this week, starting with “The Contract” by my favorite music act Twenty One Pilots, comprised of the dynamic duo Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun, entering my chart at lucky #13. The lead single from their forthcoming eighth studio album Breach, to be released September 5th, “The Contract” starts the final act of the narrative begun on their 2015 album Blurryface and continued through Trench, Scaled And Icy, and last year’s Clancy.
Entering at #29 is “Bloom Baby Bloom” by English alt-rock band Wolf Alice, consisting of Ellie Rowsell on lead vocals, Joff Oddie on guitar, Theo Ellis on bass and Joel Amey on drums. The song is the lead single from their fourth studio album The Clearing, to be released August 29th. And coming in at #30 is “Asshole” by Denver, Colorado-based alternative folk rock band The Lumineers, now a duo consisting of Wesley Schultz (lead vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums, percussion, piano). Also dubbed “First We Ever Met” to mollify radio censors and self-righteous Puritans, “Asshole” is from their fifth and latest studio album Automatic, which dropped February 14th.
BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (1)
NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (2)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (4)
‘With its sweeping cinematic ‘wall of sound’ arrangement and lush orchestration, the beautiful anthem “back to friends” by alternative pop-rock artist sombr is exactly the kind of song I love, so it was only a matter of time before it reached the pinnacle of my top 30 chart. The music project of talented and charismatic young singer-songwriter Shane Michael Boose – who will turn 20 on July 5th – sombr was born and raised in New York City but now based in Los Angeles. The gorgeous song was released in late December but as so often happens these days, it went viral on TikTok this past Spring along with his other single “Undressed”, and began appearing on multiple charts around the world, including the Billboard Hot 100 and other American charts. Currently enjoying a long stay at #1 on the Alternative Airplay chart, “back to friends” surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify in April and has now garnered more than 381 million streams.’
The straightforward, relatable lyrics describe feelings of heartbreak resulting from learning someone you thought you had a strong romantic and emotional connection with turns out to not share the same feelings, something I’m confident nearly all of us experienced at one time or another during our late adolescence or early adulthood. “How can we go back to being friends when we just shared a bed? How can you look at me and pretend I’m someone you’ve never met? The devil in your eyes won’t deny the lies you’ve sold, I’m holding on too tight. While you let go, this is casual.”
In other chart news of note, “Moody” by Australian duo Royel Otis is the biggest upward mover again this week, jumping nine spots to enter the top 10 at #6. Also entering the top 10 are “Basic Being Basic” by Djo, the music project of American actor and musician Joseph David Keery, who starred in the Netflix hit series Stranger Things, the comedy film Free Guy and season five of Fargo, and “Catch These Fists” by English indie rock band Wet Leg.
Two songs make their debut this week, the first of which is “No Rain, No Flowers” by Nashville-based blues rock duo The Black Keys, who are certainly no strangers to my chart. The marvelous ear worm is the title track and third single (after “The Night Before”, which recently peaked at #2, and “Babygirl”) from their forthcoming 13th studio album No Rain, No Flowers, scheduled for release on August 8th. Entering at #30 is “London Town” by English alternative indie rock band HEALER, a great song I recently reviewed. It’s their third song to appear on my chart, after “Bones” in 2023 and “War” in 2024.
BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (2)
NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (1)
ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (4)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (5)
Lord Huron‘s achingly beautiful “Nothing I Need” remains at #1 for a second week, while sombr‘s cinematic “back to friends” closes in at #2. Jack White advances four spots to #4 with his boisterous satirical takedown of televangelist hucksters “Archbishop Harold Holmes”, and Irish indie rock band Somebody’s Child jump five spots to #5 with “Porcelain (Losing All My Patience)”. Ohio indie folk band Caamp enter the top 10 with their gentle song of positivity “Let Things Go”. The biggest upward mover this week is “Moody” by Australian duo Royel Otis, leaping 10 spots to #15.
We have three wonderful new debuts this week, starting with “Relationships” by Los Angeles-based pop-rock trio HAIM, comprised of sisters Este (bass guitar and vocals), Danielle (lead vocals, guitar, and drums), and Alana Haim (guitars, keyboards, and vocals). The lead single from their fourth album I Quit, which dropped this past Friday, June 20th, the song has a languid yet edgy hip hop vibe with the ladies’ marvelous signature harmonies, and I love it. It’s the sisters’ first song to appear on my chart.
Entering at #29 is the darkly beautiful and musically complex “Emergence” by English rock band Sleep Token, whose music is an electrifying blend of alternative, metal, progressive, R&B, hip hop and djent. Though they formed in 2016 and have released four albums, they’re new to me. In addition to their dynamic music, they’re also know for remaining physically anonymous by wearing masks. “Emergence” is the lead single from their fourth album Even in Arcadia, which was released in May, and their first to appear on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at #57. The song is currently #2 on the Mainstream Rock chart and #17 on the Alternative Airplay chart.
Last but certainly not least is the haunting “Love Is A Fire” by the remarkably talented and prolific London-based artist Art Block, which I reviewed upon its release four weeks ago. A favorite artist of mine who I’ve featured many times on this blog, it’s his second song to appear on my chart, the previous being “White Horses”, which went all the way to #1 in December 2022.
NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (1)
BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (3)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (2)
ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (8)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (10)
Another favorite music act of mine is American folk rock band Lord Huron. Originally formed as a solo act by singer-songwriter and guitarist Ben Schneider in 2010 after he relocated from Michigan to Los Angeles (his name was inspired by the Great Lake he grew up near), Lord Huron eventually became a four-piece that now includes Miguel Briseño on bass, keyboards & theremin, Tom Renaud on guitar, and Mark Barry on drums & percussion. Their uniquely beautiful music is a glorious mash-up of folk, western, rock and roll, pop, surf rock and new age, and has been described by music writers as evoking the ‘high-lonesome’ sound of such legendary acts as The Band and Neil Young, as well as newer acts like Fleet Foxes and My Morning Jacket (whose song “Time Waited” has spent the past three months on my chart, peaking at #1). The most striking features of their sound are the lush twangy and shimmery guitars, backed by stirring orchestral strings, and lead singer Ben Schneider’s beautiful warm vocals, which often convey an arresting and heartfelt vulnerability.
They’ve released four outstanding albums – Lonesome Dreams in 2012, Strange Trails in 2015, Vide Noir in 2018 and the gorgeous Long Lost in 2021, which is one of my favorite albums of the last 10 years. Their beautiful ballad “The Night We Met”, from Strange Trails, was their breakout hit and, shockingly, their only song to ever chart on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at only #84. Nevertheless, it’s been streamed more than three billion times on Spotify. In January they released “Who Laughs Last?”, a hard-charging rock song featuring spoken word verses from actress Kristen Stewart, which they followed in late March with “Nothing I Need”. Those tracks, along with their latest single “Looking Back”, will be included on their forthcoming fifth album The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1, scheduled for release on July 18th.
“Nothing I Need” is gorgeous, featuring the band’s signature rich and colorful guitar work and Schneider’s marvelous vocals. It takes over the #1 spot on my latest Top 30 chart, marking Lord Huron’s third song to reach #1, after “Not Dead Yet” and “Mine Forever”, both from Long Lost, and both of which ended up placing in the top 10 of my 100 Best Songs of 2021 list, with “Mine Forever” ranking #2.
The bittersweet lyrics tell of a man lamenting his lost youth and the love he squandered away through his endless traveling, possibly for his career that now brings him no pleasure: “I fell asleep and when I woke up, I was old. I said goodbye to my youth and my blood ran cold. I got a feeling I just had to get away. I left it all behind on an endless road, but I see her face everywhere I go. I got everything I want and I got nothing that I need.” Schneider, who wrote and sang the lyrics, stated “Nothing I Need” “wonders if it’s possible — within the short time you’ve got — to ever truly know what you want, if it’s worthwhile wanting anything at all, and if there’s any point in pondering what’s down the roads you didn’t take.“
In other chart highlights, sombr‘s “back to friends” continues its strong upward movement, climbing three spots to #3. Three songs enter the top 10 after hovering in the low teens the past few weeks – “Archbishop Harold Holmes” by Jack White, “Barbarian” by L.A.-based alt-rock band AWOLNATION and “Porcelain (Losing All My Patience)” by Irish indie pop-rock band Somebody’s Child – all advancing three spots to #s 8, 9 and 10, respectively.
There are two new debuts again this week, the first of which is the exuberant “Ripple” by English indie rock duo Good Neighbours. Based in London and comprised of Oli Fox and Scott Verrill, they released their debut single “Home” in January 2024, The song was successful, reaching #26 in the UK and #2 on the Billboard AAA chart. I was never wild about that song, but I do like “Ripple”, which I find more infectious and appealing. The second debut is the wonderful “Better Off Eventually” by British Columbia, Canada-based alt-rock band Bealby Point, which I featured in the same Fresh New Tracks post as last week’s debut entry “Moody” by Royel Otis.
NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (3)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (1)
BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (6)
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (4)
WALLS – Frank Joshua (2)
LAREDO – Leon Bridges (5)
SNAKESKIN – NAVE (9)
ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (11)
BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (12)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (13)
I just love Fontaines D.C., who’ve become one of my favorite bands over the past couple of years. Formed in 2016 in Dublin, Ireland (the D.C. in their name stands for Dublin City, to differentiate them from another band named the Fontaines) but now based in London, England, they consist of the dangerously charismatic Grian Chatten (vocals), Conor Curley (guitar), Conor Deegan III (bass), Tom Coll (drums) and Carlos O’Connell (guitar). Their latest single “It’s Amazing To Be Young” rises to #1 this week, making it their third song in a year to top my chart. Their song “Starburster” is my #1 song of 2024, with “Favourite” not far behind at #8.
Written and performed by all members of the band, and arranged, produced and mixed by James Ford, “It’s Amazing To Be Young” was inspired by the birth of band guitarist Carlos O’Connell’s first child. Bassist Conor Deegan III elaborated about the song for Genius: “It sounded more like a lullaby or a music box, but with the same lyric ‘it’s amazing to be young’. The feeling of hope a child can give is profound and moving, especially for young men like us. That sense of wanting to create a world for them to grow up in happily. It’s a feeling that fights against the cynicism that can often overtake us in the modern world. So we wanted to declare which side we were on – it really is amazing to be young. We are still free, and want to make that feeling spread. We want to protect it for the others around us, and maybe in doing that, can also help protect it for ourselves.
The video for this song was directed by one of our favourite collaborators Luna Carmoon. Luna has a very visual ear and found a way to bring out the world of our songs, somehow making the feelings more clear and more dreamlike at the same time. This video in particular has many special moments, but I think the way it unifies the different characters together is brilliant, because it embodies the message of not just the song but the album- youth is magical, and stories can become interwoven unexpectedly and feel like worlds colliding. That is youth, that is young love, and I think oftentimes that is romance.”
The video’s fairly long with a few breaks in the song, so here’s an audio video if you’d like to just hear the song itself:
Two songs blast their way into the top 10 this week: the bittersweet folk rock beauty “Nothing I Need” by Lord Huron (which is currently #1 on the Billboard AAA chart, with “It’s Amazing To Be Young at #2) jumps eight spots to #3, while sombr’s cinematic “back to friends” (which sits at #2 on the Alternative Airplay chart) leaps 10 spots to #6.
There are two new debuts again this week, the first of which is “What Was That” by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde, who became famous in 2013 at the age of 16 for her monster worldwide hit “Royals”. It’s her first new music since her 2021 album Solar Power (though she did release a single of her cover of “Take Me to the River” that she contributed to the 2024 album Everyone’s Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense). The song is the lead single from her fourth album Virgin, set to be released on June 27, and it’s nice to have her back! The second debut, entering at #30, is the endearing “Moody” by Australian guitar-pop duo Royel Otis, which I featured in a recent Fresh New Tracks post. Their marvelous cover of Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dance Floor” is my #4 song of 2024.
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (2)
WALLS – Frank Joshua (1)
NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (11)
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (5)
LAREDO – Leon Bridges (6)
BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (16)
MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (4)
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (3)
SNAKESKIN – NAVE (9)
POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (10)
ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (12)
BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (13)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (14)
English singer-songwriter & producer Frank Joshua remains at #1 for a second week with his lush single “Walls”, while Fontaines D.C.‘s “It’s Amazing To Be Young” advances a spot to #2. Rounding out the top five are “Bad Larry” by Cloakroom, “Mortal Wound” by The Veils and “The Turnaround” by DelCobras (who just released their second single “Untied (She’s the One)” this past Friday), all moving up two spots. The biggest upward mover this week is the majestic “back to friends” by 19-year-old artist sombr, leaping eight spots to #16 (I find it interesting that some artists name themselves and/or their songs in all lower case).
I have two wonderful debut songs this week, the first of which is “Feels Right” by northern Virginia-based artist Talk in Waves (the music project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jake Mimikos). The exuberant pop-rock song is a joyous celebration of a budding romance, where everything’s coming together and just “feels right”. Jake has released an impressive amount of music since 2015, and I’ve featured him numerous times on this blog. I’ve loved all his songs, five of which have reached #1 on my Top 30 chart. One of them, “Like You Do”, topped my 100 Best Indie Songs of 2024 list, and his previous single “You’re My Drug” reached #2 this past March.
The second debut, coming in at #30, is the marvelous “Bonnet Of Pins” by silky-voiced singer-songwriter Matt Berninger, who’s also frontman of alternative indie rock band The National. I love his warm baritone singing voice so much, he could literally sing the phone book and I’m certain it would sound captivating. The song is from his new album Get Sunk, his second release as a solo artist which dropped this past Friday, May 30th.
WALLS – Frank Joshua (1)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (3)
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (5)
MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (6)
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (7)
LAREDO – Leon Bridges (8)
THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (2)
TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (4)
SNAKESKIN – NAVE (9)
POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (10)
NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (17)
ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (12)
BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (13)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (14)
LET THINGS GO – Caamp (15)
BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (24)
ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (11)
BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (18)
THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (21)
EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (22)
SO LONG – Wavves (23)
CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (25)
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (16)
RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (26)
SPACEMAN IN TULSA – Counting Crows (27)
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (18) 19th week on chart
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.
WALLS – Frank Joshua (3)
THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (2)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (4)
TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (1)
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (5)
MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (6)
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (7)
LAREDO – Leon Bridges (9)
SNAKESKIN – NAVE (10)
POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (13)
ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (14)
ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (15)
BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (16)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (17)
LET THINGS GO – Caamp (18)
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (8)
NOTHING I NEED – Lord Huron (25)
BASIC BEING BASIC – Djo (21)
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (11)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (12)
THREE SIX FIVE – Shinedown (22)
EVERYTHING IS PEACEFUL LOVE – Bon Iver (23)
SO LONG – Wavves (24)
BACK TO FRIENDS – sombr (29)
CATCH THESE FISTS – Wet Leg (28)
RITALIN – Dexter and The Moonrocks (26)
SPACEMAN IN TULSA – Counting Crows (30)
STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND – Unquiet Nights (19)
IMPOSTER SYNDROME – Fake Empire (20) 19th week on chart
There are several really beautiful songs on this week’s list, starting with “Time Waited” by My Morning Jacket, which holds the top spot for a second week. Three more are “Walls” by English artist Frank Joshua, moving up to #3, “Bad Larry” by Northwest Indiana shoegaze band Cloakroom and “Mortal Wound” by English/New Zealand indie/rock band The Veils, which advance two spots to #s 5 and 6. None of those three songs have appeared on any charts as far as I can tell, which is a travesty. “The Night Before” by The Black Keys moves into second place, and “It’s Amazing To Be Young” by Irish alt-rock band Fontaines D.C. jumps six spots to #4. Two more gorgeous songs, “Laredo”, by Texas singer-songwriter Leon Bridges and “Snakeskin” by English singer-songwriter NAVE, enter the top 10 at #s 9 & 10.
There are two debuts this week, the first of which is “back to friends” by sombr, the music project of astonishingly talented 19-year-old singer-songwriter Shane Boose. Born and raised in New York City, he’s now based in Los Angeles. The song was actually released last December but as so often happens these days, it recently went viral on TikTok and began appearing on American charts. I’ve grown to love the song, and also love his follow-up single “Undressed”. The second debut, bringing up the rear at #30, is “Spaceman in Tulsa” by legendary alt-rock band Counting Crows. The song is from their eighth album Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets!, which dropped May 9th. Still fronted by Adam Duritz who’s now 60, they sound as good as ever.
TIME WAITED – My Morning Jacket (1)
THE NIGHT BEFORE – The Black Keys (3)
WALLS – Frank Joshua (4)
IT’S AMAZING TO BE YOUNG – Fontaines D.C. (10)
BAD LARRY – Cloakroom (7)
MORTAL WOUND – The Veils (8)
THE TURNAROUND – DelCobras (9)
METAVERSE – Cage the Elephant (2)
LAREDO – Leon Bridges (12)
SNAKESKIN – NAVE (14)
TAKE THIS HEART – Brian Lambert (5)
RUSHMERE – Mumford & Sons (6)
POOR SAD INDIE EVERYTHING – Icarus Phoenix (15)
ANKLES – Lucy Dacus (16)
ARCHBISHOP HAROLD HOLMES – Jack White (18)
BARBARIAN – AWOLNATION (19)
PORCELAIN (LOSING ALL MY PATIENCE) – Somebody’s Child (20)
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 