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I remember someone once talking about the "Paradox of Ed Sheeran" in a YouTube video once, I can't remember who exactly I wanna say Alfo Media, and I can't help but feel like Subtract really exemplifies this paradox at its fundamental core. Ed Sheeran at his heart is that silly mate you meet at a pub who sings some okay folk, but he's such a big superstar that his songs have to have the production of a stadium filler pop anthem.

I feel like this paradox is most evident on tracks like Salt Water and Borderline, tracks deeply talking about Ed Sheeran's depression and even some suicidal intent, but vocally he's rather emotionless, singing so that his voice can carry through a stadium and be sung back to him, and instrumentals that will boom in a stadium.

Boat is a better track, with a very stripped back instrumental for the most part, but I wish Ed would change up his singing just a little. It's something that makes stuff like A-Team off his first album memorable, and it's something really missing from this album.

I can't help but compare this to Go Farther in Lightness by Gang of Youths, one of my all time favourite albums, where Dave Le'aupepe is processing his emotions, depression and spiral into suicidal thoughts, until something, someone, somewhere gives him a spark that, while still grieving, helps him keep moving through life. That whole narrative is supported through the dense, operatic intsrumentation and Dave's absolutely belting yet dynamic voice. Subtract on the other hand, despite it being about Ed processing the potential of his wife dying of cancer and maybe even losing his unborn child as well, doesn't really evoke any of that sonically. It feels like Ed is going through the motions, like a focus group developed the sound while Ed was pouring his heart out into the songs. It just, ends up lacking.

For the most part, that lack of emotional weight, is what makes this album decent but forgettable. There's nothing annoying on this song, there's no Bad Habits on this album that I despise completely, it's nearly my perfect 5/10 album I feel nothing about, but there are emotions lying under the surface that aren't coming through properly which makes me feel I need to bump the track down a little because I'm actually wanting more from it.

Also shoutouts to the bonus track where Ed talks about doing weed.