Ed Sheeran and The Last Samurai

Today I have some music for you by the ever incredible, Ed Sheeran. I have to say I am extremely pleased with the fact that he has really come to the top of the music scene. His talent ranges from being a songwriter to a guitarist to being a fantastic singer. His vocal talents also fall on quite a spectrum and was given the award as the most influential figure in black music for the year. This is quite an accomplishment because he is able to really capture that soul and feeling and passion that accompanies the music of the black community. This song is off one of his older albums but is a song that I love so much. Ed Sheeran sings this song with so much passion and soul and it is absolutely breathtaking. From the beginning we get the soft acoustics of his guitar and a darker tone to his voice. There is a melancholy that Ed Sheeran establishes from the beginning and it carries over into the rest of the song. However, as the song progresses, we are introduced to other emotions one by one. When we get to the chorus we get a smooth and beautiful sound that kind of brings out a slight view of hope. He slightly hiccups the chorus the first time around and I thin that it captures this sense of vulnerability and loss that you feel after someone you care about deeply leaves. The next verse includes the use of his wonderful falsetto but also has a little bit more strength to it. In fact when you get to the second round of the chorus, his voice sounds a little but firmer and less ephemeral. It has more substance as if he himself is becoming more solidified. And then we get to the part which features extra vocals and it is just a stunning climax. Ed Sheeran builds it up so well by including his strong voice to the background chant and then belts out lines that are full of pain. He is literally crying out for love and gives way to singing and asking for love with a chorus of voices. This is a song that will stick in your head because it covers a wide range of emotions that are associated with a break up. This song doesn't capture the sadness alone, but also gets the pain and the anger, the loss and confusion, and the transient nature that we all take up. He really makes us understand what he feels and what we all eventually feel. It is absolutely incredible to hear him describe what we the audience are feeling. Paired with his simple guitar work, this song is a brilliant showcase of Ed Sheeran's talent and genius. Today's instrumental song is from the movie The Last Samurai. This song also has this darkness to it that is shrouded in a slight sadness and melancholy. It has elements of being something that is both haunting and beautiful. Similar to the first song, this one has the idea of climaxing and then dropping back down to that nothingness of sound. It is splendidly emotional. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!