There are 9 new releases in the October chart, including a new no. 1.
Straight in at no. 1 is Irish Rock ‘n’ Roll (BC Recordings) by The Mary Wallopers. The album captures the chaos, humour and excitement of the band’s live shows whilst also showcasing the emotion of the traditional ballads that they play (both in songs passed down from previous generations and – for the first time on this record – their own songs that promise to be passed down to future generations).
Folk-punk rabble Skinny Lister’s sixth studio album Shanty Punk (Xtra Mile Recordings) lands at no. 2. The album is a mix of anthems, shanties and folk/punk classics: a collection of songs that leans further into their folky routes.
At no. 3 is Moments in Time (Banshee Music) by Finbar Furey. The album features a collection of Finbar’s own compositions alongside four well known traditional songs; ‘Kitty’, ‘The Rocks Of Bawn’, ‘Slieve Gallen Braes’ and ‘The Parting Glass’.
No. 5 is Nothing But Green Willow – The Songs of Mary Sands and Jane Gentry (Topic) by Martin Simpson and Thomm Jutz. Selected from Cecil Sharp’s 1916 and 1918 collection, ‘English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians’, the album features a number of special guests from the UK and beyond.
Land of My Other (Real World Records), the third album by The Breath, lands at no. 15. Written and performed by the partnership of singer Ríoghnach Connolly and guitarist Stuart McCallum, these ten original songs tell complex stories of where ancestral trauma meets pride.
In at no. 16 is Chris Brain’s second album Steady Away (Big Sun). Brain’s distinctive warm vocal and finger-picked guitar style are featured alongside expansive strings and delicate piano arrangements, touching on themes of loss, pain and awe in nature.
No. 22 is the latest album by Track Dogs, and their third in eighteen months. Blind Summits & Hidden Dips (Mondegreen) features an eclectic mix of bluegrass, latino/fronterizo, and folk/blues.
Coming in at no. 24 is This Place We Live (Communion) is the fourth album by Matthew and The Atlas. This album is a collection of deeply personal songs; an introspective snapshot of Matthew Hegarty reckoning with himself and the world at a certain stage of life.
At no. 28 is Peggy’s Dream (251) by Martin Hayes & Common Ground Ensemble. Martin Hayes, the renowned Irish fiddler and member of The Gloaming, leads the Common Ground Ensemble who blend traditional Irish roots with improvisation, jazz, avant-garde and contemporary classical influences.
