My Amazon Reviews: Ed Sheeran "X"

Be Fruitful and Multiply
4 Out Of 5 Stars

Ed Sheeran makes his play for more mainstream sound on his second major label album "X" (multiply). His previous album "+" was a singer-songwriter triumph. I thought it was the breakout album of the year. It also established Ed as a bona fide star and an unlikely sex symbol. Yet after that explosion of success, Sheeran decides to mess with the formula. The resulting album is a frustrating mix of sensitive singer-songwriter material and urban hip-hop influences.

Ed has a rather thin voice to start with, and when he applies it to wrap he's whiter than Vanilla Ice.this takes up three of "X's" twelve songs. While the songs are distraction, they don't totally dilute the quality of the album. It's also worth noting it's also worth noting that "X" suffers from multiple producer syndrome, bouncing back and forth between Jake Gosling and hip-hop icon Pharell. While Gosling handles the more sensitive singer-songwriter material, its Pharell that pushes Sheeran in the more urban direction. Sometimes it works to spectacular effect, as it did on the hit single "Sing." "Sing" is a high point on the album.

But then again, you're stuck with the rap songs. The worst of these is "The Man," which almost caused me to dock the album by a full star. Not only is the rap annoying, the song is unnecessarily censored. Sheeran, with all the twists and turns he makes on "X," turns sheepish and bleeps a couple of f-bombs and a reference to defecating. If he's so intent on establishing his credibility as both a singer-songwriter and urban contemporary recording artist, then cutting out words that some might find offensive is cheap. You're a good enough singer and a songwriter that you could've easily used different words. Leaving them on the album only to cut them in post-production is not an admirable trait.

Overall, "X" is a satisfying album. Sheeran is possibly one of the most gifted singer songwriters of the present day, and for whatever flaws this album has, it overcomes them just on the basis of sheer talent. If you're willing to overlook Sheeran's voyages into hip-hop and rap, ("+" also explored these elements, but not to the extent that "X" does) then you will enjoy this album. If not, then this review serves both purposes of being a warning and an endorsement.