Review Summary: By subtracting any undue pretensions and adding purely songs that play to his strengths, Sheeran will continue to divide opinion and yet multiply his fanbase.
Ed Sheeran is the dictionary definition of the antithetical pop star. Timid and unassuming, his self-deprecatory attitude and gentle charm has seen him shoot to global stardom alongside two albums –
+ (Plus) and
x (Multiply) – which while both fine pieces of work in their own right, are both very much transitional efforts and the sounds of a boy trying to find his place. The former was the amalgamation of his early E.P material with just about the right amount of studio polish to present a wonderfully endearing debut, whereas (to this reviewer at least), the latter attempted a little too hard to amplify his unlikely sex appeal, attempting to make a Justin Timberlake out of a Jack Johnson, with mixed – but undoubtedly popular – results.
So when you’re an immensely likeable young man with the world at your feet, where do you go? Do you attempt to continue to fit the smooth popstar mould, or do you focus on what made you popular in the first place? Fortunately, on album number three, the answer is to skilfully divide (pauses for groans) the best bits of both across the runtime, and focus first and foremost on being yourself. Sensitive yet humorous, vulnerable yet cheeky, Sheeran plays solely to his strengths and never missteps. The clunky, overt sexuality and swagger of tracks like ‘Sing’ and ‘Don’t’ from
Multiply has been withdrawn and replaced with a genuinely smooth, sultry sound on joint lead single ‘Shape Of You’, not a big leap forward lyrically, but the production is more minimal, the vocals are less brash, and the end result is a perfect crossover. His skill in storytelling is perfectly presented in the one-two of ‘Happier’ and ‘New Man’, both from the viewpoint of a man not yet over the recent loss of a love, but delivered from two very different states of mind – the former deals with how much it hurts, but taking slight solace in how his former flame looks happier in the arms of someone else, and the former is full of brazen digs about her eponymous new man, the way he presents himself and his attitude. In a little over 6-and-a-half minutes, the whole emotional spectrum is covered from loss, pain, petty bitterness, the attempt to be selfless, without ever quite finding comfort in resolution.
Balladry has always been one of Sheeran’s strong suits, and he is not afraid to play the card repeatedly on Divide. The standouts here are ‘Dive’, which features arguably the best vocal performance on the album, an impassioned plea to allow him to fall for the object of his affections without fear of failure, played alongside a gorgeous but brief guitar solo, and ‘How Would You Feel? (Paean)’, a simple but sugar-sweet heart-to-heart. While ‘Perfect’ is not necessarily stronger than these two, expect it to be
everywhere when it is inevitably released as a single. Akin to a revamped ‘Unchained Melody’, the track runs carefree along a tightrope of earnest emotion, always at risk of falling into a void of schmaltzy over-sentimentality, but never quite losing its balance. And as for closer ‘Supermarket Flowers’? Prepare to have your heart broken.
While Sheeran has always been something of a one-man show, his new-found affinity for fleshed out pop is a real high point on this record. Single ‘Castle on the Hill’ has been repeatedly likened to U2, but the slight rasp on the vocal, and the triumphance in delivery makes it one of the strongest songs in Sheeran’s career. Elsewhere, the traditional Irish-tinged romp of ‘Galway Girl’ is a little silly, possibly, but a lot of fun. Sheeran’s foray in to rap is continued here and on opener ‘Eraser’, and justifiably splits opinion, but for this reviewer, it adds an increased layer of honesty and vulnerability – a precise, well-oiled spit would feel out of place here, and while the end result isn’t weak, it does help Sheeran play the part of the slightly awkward, left-field charmer.
The one stand-out weak track for me has to be ‘What Do I Know?’ not because it’s poorly created, as it’s a very pleasant sounding song, well-produced (as is the rest of the album), but the whole ‘I’m just a dude with a guitar, doing my thing, singing about what I want to sing about’ act would have worked a lot better on his debut rather than here, as a statement of intent rather than an addition to his repertoire. If I were to be overly critical here, I could understand how this album could be seen as a bit of a sidestep rather than Sheeran’s magnum opus – there are few risks, little unfamiliarity, but in this comfort zone, it is unquestionably his best release so far. There is a maturity in consolidating a style which works and allowing him to be himself. This is not a re-tread of his previous work, but it is a sign of a confident songwriter in control. By subtracting any undue pretensions and adding purely songs that play to his strengths, Sheeran will continue to divide opinion and yet multiply his fanbase.
