Official Folk Albums Chart – September 2023

The Official Folk Album Chart

On Tuesday 3 October the Official Charts Company in partnership with English Folk Expo revealed the Top 40 best-selling and most streamed folk albums released in the September reporting period in the UK by UK and Irish artists. The chart is first announced to the public at 7pm GMT as part of the Official Folk Albums Chart Show  presented by Folk on Foot via their YouTube channel.

There are 9 new releases in the September chart.

No. 1 is False Lankum by Lankum, which rises from its no. 2 position in the August chart.

Straight in at no. 2, is Dreamer Awake (Navigator) by Scottish based singer-songwriter Rachel Sermanni. She brims with dreamy indie-folk pop that speaks of the struggle and desire to flow, to love, to live, to feel.

At no. 3 is The Journey So Far – Live (Sharpe Music) by Tumbling Paddies, recorded live in Castlebar Co. Mayo and captures the experience of the band performing live. The album includes a live version of the recent hit ‘The Way I Am’ co-written by lead vocalist Gareth Maguire along with Derek Ryan.

Cloud Horizons (Resilient) by Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening comes in at no. 4. The album is the follow-up to their acclaimed 2019 debut Hollowbone. ‘A full on embracing of studio trickery, electronic beats and swathes of synth, all surrounding the core of wood, reed and bellows that remain the heart of the band.’

No. 11 is Make The World Anew (MQCD) by Melrose Quartet. Perhaps the most positive record in the band’s career, the album reflects their joy at being able to rehearse, record and gig together again after the trials and restrictions of the pandemic.

In at No. 19 is Consciousology (Sonic Cathedral) by Dot Allison. After a decade away the former One Dove singer and songwriter broke cover in 2021 with Heart-Shaped Scars and this new album expands on the styles and themes of the previous album, all while pushing everything just that little bit further.

Love is the Weapon of Choice (Fatcat) by Daphne’s Flight comes in at no. 26. The album is made up of ten songs with a women-centric theme are wrapped in the glorious Daphne’s Flight signature sound of breathtaking harmonies and intricate arrangements.

At no. 27 is Galargan (Bubblewrap) by The Gentle Good. Many of the songs come from the invaluable collections and writings of Meredydd Evans and Phyllis Kinney in the National Library of Wales. ‘Nid wyf yn llon’, translated as ‘I am not happy’, for example, was collected from the singing of a prisoner in Dolgellau jail.

No. 33 is The Colour of Night (Winding Track), the fifth studio album by Ninebarrow. Written largely during the pandemic, the album reflects the uncertainty so many were experiencing during this time, but also captures a feeling of hope – that when things seem at their darkest, the dawn is never far away.

At no. 39 is Songbird (Talking Elephant) by Carla Fuchs. The nine tracks on the album have been created from unused lyrics found in the notebooks of Sandy Denny. She has concentrated on evoking a soundscape inspired by Sandy Denny with a sensitivity that pays homage to her musical nuances.

The full Top 40 list can be viewed HERE