Ed Sheeran – - (Subtract) (Yellow Vinyl)

Ed Sheeran's Subtract is his sixth studio album, released in 2023 as a stark reset from the bigger-pop scale of his earlier records. Built from songs written during a period of grief, anxiety, and personal upheaval, it also became the point where a long-held idea for a pure acoustic album finally took shape in a much more immediate, unguarded way.

That emotional shift matters to the music. Subtract leans back into Sheeran's singer-songwriter roots, with stripped-back arrangements, folk-tinged acoustic pop, and subtle orchestral colour rather than chart-chasing gloss. Aaron Dessner of The National co-wrote and produced the album after the two retreated together for weeks and wrote around 30 songs, 14 of which made the final tracklist. The result is intimate and reflective, with songs like “Boat,” “Eyes Closed,” and “End of Youth” carrying the album's rawest themes.

What makes this record stand out in Sheeran's catalogue is how directly it connects craft to circumstance. Written in the aftermath of the death of his friend Jamal Edwards, alongside his wife's serious illness and the strain of a high-profile copyright case, these songs favour honesty over polish. If you know Sheeran mostly for stadium singles, Subtract is the album that shows how effective he can be when he keeps things pared back and personal.

Features

• Yellow Vinyl, Limited Edition
• First pressing

Reviews

• Subtract is easily his best album. - The Guardian