So, here I am about to press play on X (multiply), Ed Sheeran’s second album. I’m not expecting to like it. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve tried to like Ed. I’ve listened to all of his previous output, just to see if he was worth the fuss, and I found it bland and boring to be honest. I can’t decide whether the fact that this new one involves Rick Rubin and Pharrell among its nearly ten producers is a good thing or not. So let’s see if Ed can cast off that Brit-school nice-boy-next-door sheen and come up with something meaningful and artistic. Open mind and all that. Let’s press play.
Photo ©Christopher Johnson. Used under CC-BY-SA 2.0 license
Opener One (as in “you are the only one…”) starts mean and moody, but soon finds Ed in One Direction hit writing mode. This carries on into track two, I’m A Mess. Production is clean and attention grabbing, though; I suspect so far my hi-fi is enjoying it more than I am. From here on in things begin to become a bit more… Timberlake. Sing is in fact a very passable Justin impression. It’s the best track so far. Nina is a bit more satisfying, a cool clean pop song with a slightly ethereal ghostly piano hook underpinning the track.
Next track, Photograph takes a big step back; a ham fisted clichéd “love can hurt” song that’s oh-so predictable. It must’ve been written whilst on tour with Snow Patrol. Listen to it; you’ll hear what I mean. Bloodstream brings some much welcomed Fleetwood Mac-isms to the proceedings; best thing on here so far. However, the Chris DeBurgh feel of the following Tenerife Sea is much less welcome; worst thing on here so far.
Then, the JT funk comes back! There’s a definite lack of a cohesive identity going on in this album, this makes for the unexpected always just being round the corner, but also for a confusing ride too. The Man even brings rap to the table; it really shouldn’t have. Really. Thinking Out Loud is hideous middle-aged bore rock, and then we’re at album proper closer Afire Love, which attempts to repeat the trick pulled off so neatly by Sing, but simply isn’t as good.
Photo ©Eva Rinaldi. Used under CC-BY-SA 2.0 license
This being the digital age, the album doesn’t finish at its end – it’s deluxe edition bonus track time! Brave experiments or simply songs not good enough to make the main album? Which way does X‘s cookie crumble? Well, first “bonus” track, Take It Back, is truly awful. Bad rap, very bad rap. Thankfully the rest of the deluxe tracks show a vast improvement on the first one. Though, apart from the Hobbit gracing I See Fire, none are good enough to make the main album proper.
So then, this is a sassy smart modern pop album. Far from perfect but much better and much more listenable than the his debut, +. The Justin Timberlakey moments are generally the best and Ed should never never rap again. It’s all a bit safe, a bit pre-punk as it were. If fellow guitar and Rubin-toting singer-songwriter Jake Bugg is the Sex Pistols, then Sheeran is more Smokie.
So then, far from dreadful, far from brilliant.
Author – Ian, Romford store
