Nutini's Sunny album shining at retail

10:46 | Tuesday June 2, 2009

The Atlantic-signed artist reached number three with his debut album These Streets in 2006, but the newly-issued follow-up is presently more than 8,000 sales ahead of its closest rival, the debut album by J/Columbia artist Merriweather. The current number one, Eminem’s Interscope/Polydor-issued Relapse, is a further 3,700 sales behind.

Nutini and Merriweather’s albums lead a strong week for new releases, with Syco/RCA act Paul Potts’ new album Passione vying for a Top 10 entry, while Verve/Decca’s Diana Krall is presently in position with Quiet Nights to score her first Top 10 album since The Girl In The Other Room reached number four in 2004.

Lower down, new albums from Epitaph’s Rancid, Patrick Wolf on his Bloody Chamber label and Warner Bros’s Taking Back Sunday are eyeing Top 40 debuts this coming Sunday, while sitting just outside the 40 at the moment is the new album from Hear Music/Universal’s Elvis Costello, as well as a Polydor-issued BBC collection by Siouxsie & the Banshees and a Rhino-issued best of/new studio set by The Pretenders.

On the singles chart a close battle for top place could see Interscope/Polydor’s Black Eyed Peas returning to the top of the chart this weekend with Boom Boom Pow replacing the track that knocked it from the number one spot.

It is presently around 1,000 sales ahead of Dirtee Skank’s Bonkers by Dizzee Rascal and Armand Van Helden with 3 Beat/AATW’s Release Me by Agnes holding at three. Two new entries complete the top-five sellers at this stage in the week: Columbia act Kasabian’s Fire and Did You See Me Coming by Parlophone’s Pet Shop Boys. The veteran duo last made the UK Top 10 with I’m With Stupid in May 2006.