CD review: Ed Sheeran

Having risen to the rare position of filling stadiums via a mixture of power (or depowered acoustic) ballads, guitar looper trickery and everyman personality, Ed Sheeran shows no signs he plans to relinquish his  position as a grandiose and grounded pop song-writer.

His trick: taking ruminations on fame and making them sound like a conversation over a pint (opening track Eraser); outdoing U2’s anthemic schtick (the electric guitar echo of Castle on the Hill); bringing syncopated snap and groove (Shape of You and the Afro-gat pulse of Bibia Be Ye Ye); and borrowing from the Irish songbook. Despite its title, Sheeran’s third album seems destined to multiply.

• Ed Sheeran. ÷ [Divide]. Warner Music.

• Three stars (out of five)

Single download: Barcelona
For those who like: Robbie Williams meets the Beeb

— Shane Gilchrist

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