“Autumn Variations” by Ed Sheeran

The perfect cozy vibes soundtrack for Fall

By Kelty Duval

“Autumn Variations” by Ed Sheeran comes only four months after “Subtract,” the last installment in his mathematics series of albums. Subtract was all acoustic and quite solemn due to Sheeran’s wife’s diagnosis of a tumor while pregnant with their second child and the passing of his friend. "Autumn Variations" is lighter and with happiness and optimism sprinkled between the songs.

The album is inspired by an English composer who wrote 14 compositions about each of his friends and called it the "Enigma Variations." Sheeran’s album also has a song for each friend about what they were doing in autumn of last year. The songs range from pride in their country (“England”), to wanting to do better (“Amazing”), to falling in love (“Head > Heels”), and to spending their birthday alone (“The Day I Was Born”).

This is Sheeran’s first standalone album in 12 years and his first album released through his record label, Gingerbread Man Records. He claims this album was made solely for his fans and will receive no promotional singles or music videos.

The album feels a bit like curling up on the couch wrapped in a warm blanket and watching the leaves on the trees change colors out the window. The tracks give you a sense of comfort. Sort of like autumn, it is the sort of album with the duality that you could dance around the kitchen to and curl up in your bed a cry to. The singer-songwriter’s newest album beautifully reflects the shifting of emotions as summer turns into autumn.