Thursday 28 April 2011

Ed Sheeran - The A Team


You may have caught this talented guy on Jools Holland this week performing a cover of Jamie Woon's rendition of Wayfaring Stranger.  The A Team is taken from his forthcoming album '+' released in August.

For a guy of just twenty, Sheeran sings with a maturity beyond his years.  Like the best singer-songwriter tracks, it's a great piece of storytelling - here a dark tale of drug abuse, mirrored by the simple yet clever video.  The song has clarity and immediacy, allowing the lyrics and breathy vocal delivery to take the fore.  As such, Sheeran epitomises the 'singer-songwriter' genre.  He takes a laidback yet emotional approach and the sound is complimented well by the electric guitar solo.

But with his Jools Holland performance, his use of a loop sampler hints at experimentation.  And in his 'No.5 Collaborations Project' EP, Sheeran shares the limelight with a number of urban artists.  It proves his multi-talented abilities and wide array of musical influences.  Definitely one to watch.

4/5