Ed Sheeran was really getting started here. He had the songs to inspire many others in his musical pursuit of conquering the world. This was where he was beginning to succeed. Let’s take a listen to this album, and see how this was the case.

We begin with One which has some acoustic soloing before going to a song that is incredible in power and emotion. It’s an excellent piece of craft, and is about a real love that inspires one in life. It is superb and shows Ed Sheeran as a wonderful creator of musical genius. There is a beautiful string section here as well, and it sounds very wonderful indeed. A great piece of music to start the album with.

Following is I’m A Mess is about being in such a state. It’s a great piece of acoustic music and well delivered emotional delivery with some excellent lyrical lines about being in a messed up way from drinking and other demons. It’s a deep and well delivered piece. The repeated singing towards the end is very good.

Sing is a quirky piece with some good electronic effects in the background which sounds interesting and well thought out and played. It’s a great piece to hear, and sounds very intelligent and well delivered. Very catchy indeed, it’s an ode to music itself.

Don’t is about a lover who is not really into oneself. It has some brilliant harmonies and some great instrumentation to support the piece, particularly in the chorus. A great story about broken love, and the lessons learned. It is a sad story set to upbeat music, and really sounds unforgettable. Good tune about being cautious.

Next is Nina which starts off with some excellent piano, before going into a good piece about a love from the past. It sounds rather sad, and sounds like Ed Sheeran is in a transitional phase with lovers on this record. Good effort, Ed Sheeran sounds like he is fed up with many fake lovers out there.

After that is Photograph which has a combination of carefully picked acoustic guitar and piano. It’s a great piece with a simple and beautiful song about the positive and negative sides of love covered in a short pop/rock statement. An excellent and melancholy piece to hear. Good effort about love, deep and well delivered.

Bloodstream comes next, with some excellent acoustic playing and some good harmonies to begin with. It’s a good piece to hear, about (possible) drug use and the lovers that cause pain. It has some excellent production and arrangements here. A good musical statement, just like the rest of the album. “Tell me when it kicks in…” sings Ed Sheeran, singing about being broken hearted.

Tenerife Sea comes next, and has Ed Sheeran singing about a beautiful love that he has. It’s a very excellent and beautiful piece of music. Sounding very lovely, it is a wonderful and captivating listen. Really great music, Ed Sheeran does very well here. The whole thing is gorgeous.

Next is the song Runaway which is likely about some personal issues that Ed Sheeran experienced in his life. Disturbingly so, and likely about a terrible personal situation that Ed Sheeran experienced in his life. Good sense of melody and a sense of melodic perfection, Ed Sheeran does very well here. Very deep.

After that is The Man which has Ed Sheeran rapping about being through a broken relationship. It’s a good tune that has some deep meaning in it. Interesting to hear Ed Sheeran take on a slightly different musical perspective here, a good musical slice of genius. The lyrics are very personal. Some great acoustic guitar soloing is at the end as well.

Thinking Out Loud comes next which is a piece of well written songwriting about eternal love. It’s a great piece of well delivered lyricism and melody, it is simply beautiful. Something to put a smile to your face, it is an excellent piece of music. A fine effort, it sounds awesome. There is a Fender sounding guitar solo in it as well, superb.

Afire Love begins with a keyboard string section, before going into a piece of sad emotion with piano and Ed Sheeran singing about the nature of love. It’s a lovely song and well delivered, as are many of the songs here. Some intelligent and well written lyrics are here, this is superb music. Very moving. Very emotional listening. Some beautiful violin is at the end here, as well as some great harmonies. The whole thing is excellent.

Next is Take It Back which is a statement of purpose by Ed Sheeran with him semi-rapping and playing some excellent rhythmic acoustic guitar. It’s a brilliant piece of music, and sounds awesome. No wonder so many people love his music, it is a great piece of genius. Great effort.

Following is Shirtsleeves which samples the James Brown Funky Drummer drum loop. Still, it comes across as another solid and excellent piece by Ed Sheeran. It is a great piece of music, and has a great sense of lyricism. It has some subdued instrumentation in it as well, short and sweet.

Even My Dad Does Sometimes begins with melodic piano and a lone Ed Sheeran vocal insisting that, yes, it is okay to cry (which is true). It’s a moving and great musical statement. Excellent to hear, a great and grand sounding musical piece. It is a purposeful piece of music for life, and does sound brilliant. There is a mix of great harmonies and electric guitar soloing here. A touching piece of music.

I See Fire is next, a great piece of music that is reassuring, especially with the singing at the beginning. It sounds amazing and explains an interesting and decent story. Lyrically, it is about fire on the mountainside. There are some sad sounding strings in it, and is a reassuring listen. Another great slice of Ed Sheeran genius. Good tale of music. Notably, this was on the Hobbit soundtrack, go figure.

Next is English Rose which is another love song which sounds like a piece of great musical effort. It is a song about a true love that one has. It has a nice harmonica piece in the midsection. Great stuff, a really excellent listen for one who has a love of sorts, although personified in this case, for said English Rose. Excellent.

After that is Touch And Go about a difficult love subject that is at hand. It has some excellent instrumentation and production on it. It’s a good and interesting listen. A fresh and great listening experience, it sounds really awesome. There is organ and some other good musical elements in this song. Great to hear.

New York comes next, with some good harmonies and plucked acoustic guitar to go. It’s a good song about personal experiences that one has on the road with a love. Ed Sheeran comes across as very musically humble, his music is touching. Nice musical statement from his own experience. This is really consistent music, a good effort overall.

Make It Rain comes next. It’s a slow, semi-bluesy ballad to listen to. It’s slow, but when Ed Sheeran begins singing, this track shines. A strong and solid musical craft about having a hard time, and hoping that the weather obliges. Excellent and a great melancholy piece, the electric guitar solo in it is very good. A great extended musical piece that sounds emotional and influenced by blues music.

Next is Parting Glass – Live At Wembley Stadium which is a great live rendition of an Ed Sheeran song. Although it is in a live setting, Ed Sheeran does superbly well here. It sounds majestic, and a good musical listening experience, with some minimal acoustic playing in it as well.

After that is Small Bump – Live At Wembley Stadium which has Ed Sheeran introducing the song after not playing it for two years. It begins with some good acoustic guitar, and Ed Sheeran singing well over it. It’s an excellent rendition of the song at Wembley. A good effort by our main man. Sounds very deep.

Lay It All On Me (feat. Ed Sheeran) is a short piece mainly featuring Ed Sheeran is a good way to finish this excellent album. It comes as a refreshing and interesting listen which obviously is well thought out. Good to hear Ed Sheeran do his thing here with some different musical production.

This album is superb, well-thought out and very touching. It showcases the inevitable rise of Ed Sheeran as one of the biggest musical names today. Without a doubt, his music here is brilliantly done. He deserves the credit that does here, a fantastic musical listen.

Very near perfect.

9/10