The seventh album of his career, Ed Sheeran dropped Autumn Variations Sept. 29, mere months after his sixth project, –.

This is my first time listening to one of Sheeran’s albums. Let’s see if he lives up to his reputation.

Track 1: Magical

• Favorite Line: Mornings, white mist / So delicate, covers, as we begin
• My Rating: 6/10 

Notes:

The album opens in a gentle atmosphere. It reads as a poetic diary entry written at midnight. It sounds like whispering to a long-term lover over the phone. Simple yet beautiful. The lyrics idealize this seemingly ordinary love that feels magical. I understood what this song was doing and it executed it, but it didn’t connect with me. It feels like the kind of song I’d turn on while doing homework instead of the kind of song I play when I need to feel my emotions. It’s hazy and dreamy and sleepy, but a bit boring.

Track 2: England

• Favorite Line: Take a walk and feel light, everything will be fine
• My Rating: 8/10 

Notes:

Right away the production captured my attention more than the last one. The haze vanishes. The melody of the chorus is simple, but that portrays the uncomplicated, lovely feelings the narrator sings about. I love the use of specific details. It makes this story feel real. I can see it unfolding in front of me. The song succeeds in immersion. It feels like returning to a childhood town after being away in a loveless environment for so long. The song is full of love, nostalgia and a familiar-type feeling. I must admit, it kind of reads like England propaganda, but most people have a sugar-coated, romanticized view of their hometown anyway.

Track 3: Amazing

• Favorite Line: Yeah, wish I could feel amazin’ / But this is all that I can feel today
• My Rating: 7/10 

Notes:

A clever, casual bop. The vocal delivery is automatically more engaging than the previous two tracks. If I was studying to this I’d give a little shimmy. I enjoy the implied determined optimism of the narrator. The “Hey I feel sucky today but hopefully tomorrow will be better” explores the mindset without being toxically positive or drowning in angst. The future can and will get better, but that does not necessarily change how one feels now.

Track 4: Plastic Bag

• Favorite Line: And I’ll stay steady, balanced on the rope / I guess that I’m not ready to rely on the hope
• My Rating: 6/10 

Notes:

This song feels like I’m lying in bed and all of my negative, depressing thoughts are blurry together. Then, boom. Everything is a dejected collage of memories. The narrator’s unsteady emotional state is portrayed well by the unsteady beats. I don’t like the chorus, though. In my opinion, it focuses on this seemingly romantic relationship too much. It comes out of nowhere, being shallow and underdeveloped. It weakens the song as a whole.

Track 5: Blue

• Favorite Line: Silence ain’t golden, you know that it’s only blue
• My Rating: 2/10 

Notes:

A slow tempo does not automatically mean bad. It does in this song, though. Sometimes wandering thoughts can be too indulgent. The lyrical content lacks the strength and ability to captivate the audience needed to carry the weak beat. The track is too much like any song I’d hear on the radio. I liked the color comparisons but the rest of the lyrics are too vague and basic. Where is the heart in this heart-break song? A breakup song without emotions feels like a product instead of art.

Track 6: American Town

• Favorite Line: And wasting time is time not wasted
• My Rating: 7/10 

Notes:

I really like it. American Town fixed my two problems: unspecificity and a dragging tempo. I want to feel like I’m in the situation the singer is singing to me. Don’t give me words, give me human experiences. The playful irony of an “English Girl in an American Town” parallels how this love wasn’t supposed to happen or work out but it did. They are defying everyone’s expectations and charting their own path. This song contains the charm and endearing quality that other tracks lack. This song is fun. This is a cute little song about a cute, little relationship.

Track 7: That’s On Me

• Favorite Line: I can’t help myself but cry every time that I realize / Maybe I’ll never find my smile / But who’s to blame? Well, that’s on me
• My Rating: 8/10 

Notes:

The first verse is the worst. I believe that was intentional. Coming off a little juvenile, the chorus then shifts to a more self-aware mindset. The narrator takes responsibility for his actions, painting him as a tragic hero instead of a whiny brat. It explores various levels of self-hatred, a sort of mature teenager-like angst. Sonically and lyrically the song gets stronger as it goes on.

Track 8: Page

• Favorite Line: Do I look like a monster underneath all my skin? / I wanna cut all this open till I’m feelin’ somethin’
• My Rating: 6/10 

Notes:

There is nothing wrong with a slow tempo, but the production, chord choice, or rhythm must be interesting. That’s my opinion, at least. It’s the main flaw of this track. The song sounds better sped up, allowing the lyrics to take off. It’s a good metaphor used, conjuring up the fragility of a forgotten, dusty old book. I like the lyrics, but the dragging beat weighs them down.

Track 9: Midnights

• Favorite Line: ‘Cause evеn the worst days of my life will always end / At midnight in your arms
• My Rating: 4/10 

Notes:

Weak lyrics can be compensated by, for lack of a better word, ‘vibes.’  This song doesn’t have enough of either. It feels like there’s this barrier between the singer’s emotions and the listener. That prevents the song’s ‘vibes’ and lyrics from resonating with me. I am intrigued by the chorus lyrics and it sends a good message, but the rest of the song doesn’t match the same quality. It feels like unimportant background music.

Track 10: Spring

• Favorite Line: We can’t let winter win / That’s why I’m holdin’ out for spring
• My Rating: 6/10 

Notes:

I don’t dislike it. This song doesn’t think it’s something it isn’t, like a couple of other songs. It is a simple, ruminating train of thought set to gentle music with soft vocals. The components fit. The chorus is lyrically strong. It’s a song I respect, but not one that just hits like most great songs do. It is a lovely little tune I’d enjoy studying to, though.

Track 11: Punchline

• Favorite Line: I might seem too distracted right now / It’s been so long, I’ve been the punchline / I stand naked while these clothes dry out
• My Rating: 7/10 

Notes:

I can feel the sadness in his voice and the instruments. Defeated, down and depressed. The narrator feels resigned to fate. One of the worst things about being in a bad situation is losing hope that you could ever get out of it. Or think you do not deserve to get out of it. This is the kind of song you ‘vibe’ to by the sound without even having to listen to the lyrics. Walking home in the rain, crying in your bed, etc. Because of that the lyrics don’t shine as much, which also happened in the previous song. It’s a shame because a ‘vibes’ song is good but a ‘vibes’ AND lyric song is glorious. The outro with the powerful ad-libs really better the song, though. They add in some more life and spirit. It was a solid song in the end.

Track 12: When Will I Be Alright

• Favorite Line: I tried my best to stop believin’ / I wonder about the arms she’s in
• My Rating: 5/10 

Notes:

Another slow dreary song. Does it have anything unique? Not in my opinion. The vocal delivery doesn’t feel special. The lyrics wash over the ears without their meaning sinking in. It doesn’t feel heartless, necessarily, just hollow. It exists. It is okay. I don’t hate it but I don’t love it.

Track 13: The Day I Was Born

• Favorite Line: The same excuses from every friend / Another year and now we’re here again
• My Rating: 7/10 

Notes:

It feels more melodic and less slow already. Thank God. The swinging and relatively upbeat nature was a breath of fresh air. The descriptions of human behavior allowed this song and the sentiments conveyed to sound authentic. The genuine lack of connection he experiences with people is a relatable and painful situation explored well. The narrator achieves having a pity party without coming off as too self-pitying. It’s the kind of pain that aches, and this song feels like that one bruise that won’t go away. It aches and aches and aches when one walks, sleeps, etc. every moment of the day. It’s as constant as the knowledge that you are disconnected from everyone you love. This song easily resonates.

Track 14: Head > Heels

• Favorite Line: ‘Cause no one will understand / How this just feels like flying
• My Rating: 7/10 

Notes:

Interesting and intimate, the song gives a different mood from the majority of the album. Imagine a late-night date with a significant other, a cozy movie night together. It depicts a mature, calm, subdued type of happiness. A bit reminiscent of the first track, it brings the album full circle. The simplicity of the beat does not work against this track. The lyrics are able to shine and don’t get lost in the slowness of the song. It ends the album off on a positive note.

Album Overall:

The album truly lives up to its name: the songs vary in various manners. Autumn Variations features a satisfying array of songs and subject matter. Opposing emotions exemplify the variations of circumstances one experiences. Nostalgic memories. Unhealed wounds. Simple love. Complex self-hatred. It does have a habit of resorting to slow songs laced with gentle vocals. This can settle the listener into a dull, boring cloud. More unique and exciting tracks did manage to sneak onto the album, though. Overall, this album is nice. It is neither the downfall of music nor the reinvention of the art form. It is a mix, a variation of good, bad and meh.