Can Damon Albarn or Imelda May knock Paolo Nutini off Number 1?

Paolo Nutini faces tough competition from Damon Albarn and Imelda May is he wants to hold onto the Number 1 slot on this weekend’s Official Albums Chart…

Paolo Nutini could be set to spend a third week at Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart with his third studio album, Caustic Love.

However, the Scottish singer/songwriter, who scored the fastest-selling artist album of 2014 so far when Caustic Love debuted at Number 1 just over two weeks ago, is fighting off tough competition from the likes of Blur frontman Damon Albarn and Irish rock ‘n’ roller Imelda May.

Everyday Robots, which is Damon’s first solo studio album release outside Blur, Gorillaz and his soundtrack work, debuts at Number 2 on today’s Official Albums Chart Update. The record is trailing Paolo Nutini’s Caustic Love by 3,000 copies at this midway stage.

Tribal, Imelda May’s third album, is this week’s second highest new entry at Number 3. If it maintains its momentum going into the weekend, it will be the Dubliner’s highest charting UK album to date; her previous Official Albums Chart best was her 2010 breakthrough album, Mayhem, which peaked at Number 7.

Embrace are new in at Number 4 today with their self-titled sixth studio album, it is the West Yorkshire band’s first new album in eight years. The Pixies complete today’s Top 5 with their hotly anticipated fifth album, Indie Cindy. The album was originally released two weeks ago as a limited edition run for Record Store Day 2014. Indie Cindy is new in a Number 5 on today’s Update after going on general sale earlier this week.

New Entries And High Climbers

In addition to Damon Albarn’s Everyday Robots (2), Imelda May’s Tribal (3), Embrace (4) and The Pixies’ Indie Cindy (5), there are two further new entries on the Official Albums Chart Top 40 midweek.

Former Distillers frontwoman Brody Dalle is in at Number 18 with Diploid Love, while Mexican acoustic duo Rodrigo y Gabriela currently sit at Number 23 with 9 Dead Alive.

Meanwhile, Grace Jones’ classic 1981 Nightclubbing (28), is set to re-enter the Top 40 following a deluxe re-issue. Britpop rivals Blur and Oasis both feature in the Official Albums Chart Update Top 40 today, with Blur’s Parklife (29) re-entering the Official Albums Chart after debuting at Number 1 20 years ago, and Oasis’ 2010 compilation, Time Flies-1994-2009 (15), jumping 26 places following this week’s reunion speculation.

The Official Albums Chart Update Top 40 is as follows. The Official Albums Chart Top 100 will be posted in full, here, on Sunday at 7pm.

1	CAUSTIC LOVE	PAOLO NUTINI
2	EVERYDAY ROBOTS	DAMON ALBARN
3	TRIBAL	IMELDA MAY
4	EMBRACE	EMBRACE
5	INDIE CINDY	PIXIES
6	LOVE IN THE FUTURE	JOHN LEGEND
7	A PERFECT CONTRADICTION	PALOMA FAITH
8	EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION & WAR	KAISER CHIEFS
9	MEET THE VAMPS	VAMPS
10	GOING BACK HOME	WILKO JOHNSON/ROGER DALTREY
11	GIRL	PHARRELL WILLIAMS
12	THE TAKE OFF AND LANDING OF EVERYTHING	ELBOW
13	THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION	WHITNEY HOUSTON
14	THE NEW CLASSIC	IGGY AZALEA
15	TIME FLIES - 1994-2009	OASIS
16	SYMPHONICA	GEORGE MICHAEL
17	IF YOU WAIT	LONDON GRAMMAR
18	DIPLOID LOVE	BRODY DALLE
19	THE POWER OF LOVE	SAM BAILEY
20	BORN TO DIE	LANA DEL REY
21	OUT AMONG THE STARS	JOHNNY CASH
22	HALCYON	ELLIE GOULDING
23	9 DEAD ALIVE	RODRIGO Y GABRIELA
24	AM	ARCTIC MONKEYS
25	MIDNIGHT MEMORIES	ONE DIRECTION
26	BAD BLOOD	BASTILLE
27	THE 1975	1975
28	NIGHTCLUBBING	GRACE JONES
29	PARKLIFE	BLUR
30	LIFT YOUR SPIRIT	ALOE BLACC
31	LITTLE RED	KATY B
32	NIGHT VISIONS	IMAGINE DRAGONS
33	THE CAUTIONARY TALES OF MARK OLIVER	EELS
34	BEYONCE	BEYONCE
35	PRISM	KATY PERRY
36	GREATEST HITS - SO FAR	PINK
37	SUNNY SIDE UP	PAOLO NUTINI
38	TRUE	AVICII
39	DAYS ARE GONE	HAIM
40	PURE HEROINE	LORDE