I think Ed Sheeran has some brilliant stuff.
And you hit the nail on the head. For me the best lyrics are never literal. And mix poetry with songwriting, at just the right balance, so that the singer doesn't sound a pretentious prig.
And references. Always need references. Doesn't mater if they're from movies, other songs, or everyday life, a well placed well known reference can take a line to new heights.
Even AM, which is probably their most literal album ever, still has all these things. Like, in 'Knee Socks' when Alex refers to midnight, with the line 'When the zeroes line up on the 24 hour clock" only after the 4th listen did I get it and I was like, wow, thats so simple and yet so cool sounding.