+

( 6 )

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 ...
See more details below
CD
$9.49
BN.com price
(Save 5%)$9.99 List Price
Pick Up In Store

Pick Up In Store

Reserve and pick up in 60 minutes at your local store

Other sellers (CD)
  • All (11) from $8.31   
  • New (11) from $8.31   

More About This Product

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.
Read More Show Less

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]
Read More Show Less

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
Read More Show Less

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 5
( 6 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(6)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identity on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

 
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously
Sort by: Showing all of 6 Customer Reviews

  • Posted February 14, 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

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 29, 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!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted December 9, 2012

    Simply amazing.

    Simply amazing.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 18, 2013

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted September 29, 2012

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted June 12, 2012

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 6 Customer Reviews