Divide: Upbeat pop only just saves TV love scene song drear

Album: Divide 

Artist: Ed Sheeran

Best songs: Castle on the Hill, Galway Gal, New Man, What Do I Know?

Worst songs: Eraser, Happier, 

Ed Sheeran is an artist I have always been always fairly mixed about. I liked "A Team" and "Don't" but wasn't overly impressed with "Thinking Out Loud" and the songs that he'd released from his new album Divide had left me with mixed feelings and having read some reviews of the new album, I was a bit apprehensive about Divide.

I've gone through each song and written some thoughts about them.

Eraser: How did this come to be the opening track of the album? Especially when there are miles better songs behind it including Castle on the Hill. Sheeran experiments with rapping and quite honestly it doesn't work although at least it doesn't descend into bragging about cars, stealing other blokes girlfriends etc. 3/10

Castle on the Hill: This should have been the opening track off Divide. Castle on the Hill really sucks you in and takes you on a ride through Sheeran's life, its kind of like he is telling us about his childhood and how he grew up and every time I wonder how on earth it didn't get to number one because it is brilliant tune, 8/10

Dive: If there was a ballad that I was impressed by, it was Dive. Sheeran's vocal performance connected with me straight away. Sheeran wants to know how this woman he has met feels about him before he falls in love with her so he doesn't wind up feeling hurt should she reject him. Lyrically its a simple little song but it works on many different levels. 7/10

Shape Of You: Wben I first heard Shape Of You, I really didn't like it or connect with it but now its just a feeling of general ambivalence when I do hear it. Its basically a standard drunken hook up love song and quite honestly it just doesn't work for me. Mind you its better than a lot of other crap on the charts that has gone number 1 in recent times 5/10

Perfect: Hey Bold and the Beautiful and other US soap operas, I have found your perfect love scene song. Also why do the opening lines of this song make Sheeran sound like he has changed the words of Amazing Grace? Blech. 4/10

Galway Gal: This song put a smile on my face and made me want to dance which is all I sometimes want from music. Its a fun number that is ultimately sounding very Irish and hopefully will be a single. 7/10

Happier: Another wretched ballad. Okay, Ed, we get you are immensely talented at writing ballads but come on another song made for a TV soap love scene is getting ridiculous. 5/10

New Man: A pretty chilled laid back tune about Ed Sheeran hearing about his ex's new boyfriend complete with a reference to anal bleaching. Yes, anal bleaching gets a run. Sheeran also reminds his ex of the times she had with him. Overall I like this song but the anal bleaching reference took me by surprise. 7/10

Hearts Don't Break Around Here: Yet another ballad that doesn't work for me. Another love song aimed at a new girlfriend and its kind of sacharine sweet but is there any need for a line like "Shakes my soul like a pothole" Really Ed, did you go to the Sam Hunt school of writing songs in reference women being roads?.  4/10

What do I Know? Maybe the closest Sheeran gets to being political on this album but literally its all about avoiding politics and other people's problems and changing the world with love. Seems like a total beg for world peace song to me but unfortunately its the last of the upbeat tracks. 6/10

How would you feel (Paean): Earnest Ed is back again on another ballad. How would you feel (Paean) is the album promotional song and I have to be honest when Ed is trying to be earnest is just really doesn't work at all. I have had enough of the ballads by now 3/10

Supermarket Flowers: Not much to be said for this track other than yes its another ballad about the death of his mother which is sweet and I get the sentiment of the song. 6/10

Overall I got to say the upbeat numbers save this album overall from being a bit on the dreary side. Lyrically Sheeran is at his best apart from the pothole line in Hearts Don't Break around here and the anal bleaching reference in New Man (He isn't the first artist to reference anal bleaching in a song. Kanye West has done it on his most recent album. Check out "Father Stretch my hands Part 1") but Divide is one for massive Ed Sheeran fans only.

Rating: 5/10