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Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide - Jon O'Brien
Adopting the old-fashioned route to success by playing a grueling 300 gigs in 2009 alone, Ed Sheeran's blend of singer/songwriter balladry and acoustic hip-hop has built up quite the fan base, ensuring his debut full-length album, simply titled Plus, is one of the most hotly anticipated releases of the year. Unfortunately, it's the former, rather than the latter, which dominates the follow-up to his grime-inspired introductory No.5 Collaborations Project EP. Indeed, the unexpected hugely popular response to lead single "The A Team," an achingly tender tale of a heroin-addicted prostitute (think a socially aware James Blunt) seems to have thrown him off course, as rather than pursue ...
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Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide - Jon O'Brien
Adopting the old-fashioned route to success by playing a grueling 300 gigs in 2009 alone, Ed Sheeran's blend of singer/songwriter balladry and acoustic hip-hop has built up quite the fan base, ensuring his debut full-length album, simply titled Plus, is one of the most hotly anticipated releases of the year. Unfortunately, it's the former, rather than the latter, which dominates the follow-up to his grime-inspired introductory No.5 Collaborations Project EP. Indeed, the unexpected hugely popular response to lead single "The A Team," an achingly tender tale of a heroin-addicted prostitute (think a socially aware James Blunt) seems to have thrown him off course, as rather than pursue the more urban direction that set him apart from his contemporaries, the majority of Plus' 12 tracks feel like self-conscious attempts to replicate its sound. The sparse piano chords and stream-of-consciousness delivery ("I knew you loved Shrek cos we've watched it twelve times") of "Wake Me Up," the gentle percussion and lilting piano hooks of "Small Bump," and the melancholic wistful folk of "This" are all melodic, Damien Rice-esque numbers that would no doubt go down like a storm on one of the many open-mike nights Sheeran used to frequent. But for an artist who has built up a reputation for his inventive fusion of sounds, they are disappointingly back-to-basics affairs which offer little that hasn't been heard before. However, Sheeran is a much more interesting prospect when his unassuming manner is accompanied by an array of skittering hip-hop beats and staccato R&B licks. "You Don't Need Me, I Don't Need You" is a blistering swipe at the music industry which shows that while he may not have the conventional image of a rapper, he certainly possesses the quick-witted attitude; "U.N.I." combines Snow Patrol-esque guitar hooks with a breakneck-speed delivery reminiscent of Craig David's early 2000s output; while some dirty, scuzzy guitars and electronic bleeps are thrown into the mix on "The City," which deals with his experience of moving from his hometown of to the bright lights of London. With his casual jeans and hoodie, and relatable tales of relationship woes, university, and getting drunk, it's easy to see why Sheeran has struck such a chord with the late-teens/early-twenties crowd. But his debut's failure to capitalize on his unique selling point means it's likely to leave everyone else nonplussed.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 6/12/2012
  • Label: Elektra / Wea
  • UPC: 825646592180
  • Catalog Number: 530433
  • Sales rank: 298

Tracks

Disc 1
  1. 1 A Team (4:21)
  2. 2 Drunk (3:19)
  3. 3 U.N.I. (3:48)
  4. 4 Grade 8 (3:01)
  5. 5 Wake Me Up (3:48)
  6. 6 Small Bump (4:18)
  7. 7 This (3:16)
  8. 8 The City (3:55)
  9. 9 Lego House (3:03)
  10. 10 You Need Me, I Don't Need You (3:40)
  11. 11 Kiss Me (4:38)
  12. 12 Give Me Love (8:48)
  13. 13 [CD-ROM Track]
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Album Credits

Performance Credits
Ed Sheeran Primary Artist, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Percussion, Piano, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, Vocals, Background Vocals, Hand Clapping, Beat Box
Tom Greenwood Piano
John Metcalfe Viola
Chris Worsey Cello
Chris Leonard Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, Background Vocals, Hand Clapping
Charlie Hugall Percussion, Drums
Louisa Fuller Violin
Jake Gosling Piano, Strings, Drums, Keyboards, Background Vocals, Hand Clapping
Oli Langford Violin
Leddra Chapman Background Vocals
Ben Hollingsworth Drums
Technical Credits
Sally Herbert String Arrangements
Gordon Mills Composer
Guy Massey Engineer
Julie Frost Composer
Ben Cook Executive Producer
Chris Leonard Composer
True Tiger Composer
Charlie Hugall Producer, Engineer, Additional Production
Christian Wright Mastering
Jake Gosling Composer, Programming, Producer, Engineer, String Arrangements
Justin Franks Composer
Ed Sheeran Composer, Producer
Robert Conlon Composer
No Id Programming, Producer
Sukhdeep Uppal Composer
Stuart Camp Management
Phillip Butah Illustrations
Ed Howard Executive Producer
Rob Kinselski Engineer
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 5
( 6 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(6)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

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2 Star

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1 Star

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  • Posted Thu Feb 14 00:00:00 EST 2013

    Ed is my favorite artist. He is such an inspiration. I love this

    Ed is my favorite artist. He is such an inspiration. I love this album and can't wait for the next one in 2014!! xD

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Sat Dec 29 00:00:00 EST 2012

    Fantastic CD! :) His voice is so smooth and his lyrics are just

    Fantastic CD! :) His voice is so smooth and his lyrics are just really beautiful and catchy.
    I can't wait for a new CD release from Ed!

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  • Posted Sun Dec 09 00:00:00 EST 2012

    Simply amazing.

    Simply amazing.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Mon Mar 18 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Sat Sep 29 00:00:00 EDT 2012

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Tue Jun 12 00:00:00 EDT 2012

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 6 Customer Reviews