James Vincent McMorrow and The Divine Comedy storm Irish Music Charts

James Vincent McMorrow is Ireland's new No.1. McMorrow's heartfelt third album We Move deals with issues surrounding mental health and eating disorders. Given a 9/10 rating in Hot Press by Olaf Tyaransen, it marks the singer's transition from the folk sound of earlier albums to minimalist R&B. Tyaransen described it as "musically brilliant and lyrically permeated with anxiety, regret and social unease."

For their part, in Foreverland The Divine Comedy deliver an album of classic love songs, which entered the chart at No.3. This is Neil Hannon's eleventh studio album with the band and his first in six years. And if this terrific new offering and its first-week chart performance are proof of anything, it's that The Divine Comedy's music will be around for a long time to come.

Picture This – buoyed by their presence on the current cover of Hot Press hold their ground impressively in the top 5, whilst Gavin James makes a welcome return with his much loved debut album Bitter Pill . The Irish sweep of the top 5 is upset only by Ed Sheeran's X which claims the No.2 position, clocking a staggering 116th week in the charts – but Ed's basically Irish anyway, isn't he?

Meanwhile, last week's No.1, Glory by Britney Spears crashed down to No.30 – a precipitous drop that does not bode well for the record's longer-term success. On this evidence, a hit single is badly needed!