If it becomes a little samey in places, it could be argued that this is an authentic representation of the mental health issues Sheeran was working through at the time. But most of ‘-’ is doggedly one-paced, an often drawback of Dessner’s mellow production stylings.

‘Curtains’, which also has a springier rhythm, plus rock guitars that recall The Cranberries and a genuinely anthemic chorus, sounds like a future single, too. That song, on which Sheeran sings touchingly about listening to Dusty Springfield with his daughter, subtly acknowledging the healing power of music, is a sprightlier standout track.

‘Dusty’ has a stunning middle eight that many artists would probably have repurposed as a chorus. Of course, because this is a Sheeran album, it’s also impeccably melodic from beginning to end.

For the most part, ‘-‘ feels like a warm but cautious hug from a sensitive friend – Dessner gives Sheeran space to say what’s on his mind without trying to crowd him. Dessner’s understated sonic palette of strummed acoustic guitars, soft piano chords, unobtrusive strings and light electronic beats is an ideal accompaniment for Sheeran’s pained confessionals. Sheeran’s main collaborator here is one who will definitely impress sniffier critics: The National‘s Aaron Dessner, the abundantly talented musician and producer who helped Taylor Swift to unlock her inner indie-folk singer on 2021’s stunning ‘Folklore’ and ‘Evermore’ albums. “And then the dark gets in and that’s the end of youth.” “We spend our youth with arms and hearts wide open,” the 32-year-old sings on the pointedly titled ‘End Of Youth’. Both devastating events loom large over 48 minutes that contain Sheeran’s most despondent songwriting to date. In his album announcement, Sheeran revealed that it was written during a period when he was “spiralling through fear, depression and anxiety” after losing his best friend, SB.TV founder Jamal Edwards, and learning that his pregnant wife Cherry had been diagnosed with a tumour that couldn’t be treated until after she gave birth. However, ‘-‘ sprung from even weightier problems. Read more – ‘Ed Sheeran’s The Sum Of It All’ documentary is a human look at the healing power of music.Yesterday (May 4), it was ruled by US court that he had not copied the song. He even said this week that he will be “done” with music if he were to lose the case pertaining to alleged similarities between his 2015 hit ‘Thinking Out Loud’ and Marvin Gaye’s soul classic ‘Let’s Get It On’. It’s freely available!” he said recently – and has been defending himself in court against accusations of plagiarism. When Sheeran announced this album in March, he said pretty candidly: “For the first time I’m not trying to craft an album people will like I’m merely putting something out that’s honest and true to where I am in my adult life.” Sheeran gives short shrift to the music critics who have often dismissed him – “Why do you need to read a review? Listen to it. It’s doleful and downbeat, melancholy and heartfelt, and doesn’t contain anything as crass as 2017’s cod-Irish folk song ‘Galway Girl’. But ‘-’ (pronounced Subtract), the fifth and final album of the so-called “mathematical era” that essentially covers Sheeran’s entire major label career, definitely feels different. He trailed his second album, 2014’s ‘x’, with an R&B banger co-written by Pharrell Williams (‘Sing’) and launched his fourth, 2021’s ‘=’, with an electro bop (‘Bad Habits’) that owed an equal debt to The Weekend and ’80s synth-pop group Bronski Beat. For an artist initially pegged as an acoustic troubadour – albeit one with a foot in the grime world – Ed Sheeran has displayed an impressive ability to expand and remodel his sound.

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