The Weeknd: Echoes of Silence - Album Review

The Weeknd
Echoes of Silence
Rating: Woof Daddy

Capping off a whirlwind year of almost unbearable hype, two mix tapes, mysterious videos, collaborations with Drake, and a hundred different remixes, Canadian collective The Weeknd finish up their mix tape trilogy with Echoes of Silence, which can be downloaded for free here. Where House of Balloons reveled in its luxurious tales of debauchery, and Thursday almost collapsed under its industrial cacophony, Echoes of Silence is akin to the long walk home from a night of excess. More muted and, dare I say it, more accessible than the previous installments, Echoes of Silence is perhaps the easiest entry point to The Weeknd, but is still uniquely The Weeknd. The focus this time is less on sonic exploration and more on Abel Tesfaye's gorgeous falsetto. Indeed, I had never really noticed how closely his voice comes to Michael Jackson's until this release and his stunning cover of "Dirty Diana," retitled here as "D.D."



Where the original track is all stadium ready, 80s hair metal guitars, The Weeknd reign things in somewhat, adding a more industrial sheen with buzzing bass lines and booming drum machines, and of course, Tesfaye's amazing falsetto.

For the most part, this album shows a stunning restraint that gives a little insight into where The Weeknd is heading. Not to say that their sound or aesthetic is getting more mainstream, if anything, the mainstream is just now catching up to and incorporating their sound (witness the rise of artists like Drake). Their sound, if you can call it more mature, doesn't seek to shock for shock's sake, instead, letting the track unfold in keeping with the theme and mood. "Montreal" is pure gorgeousness. Over an insistent beat, lonely atmospherics and piano, Tesfaye recounts a lover's regret over a failed relationship, intoning "Cause ain't nobody feels the way that I feel when I'm alone."



Where previously, the narrator of the tracks would have absolutely no conscience about getting what they want from a woman, the song "Next" shows that somewhere deep inside the narrator does have feelings, trying to convince himself he is not in love by denigrating the stripper he obsesses over, knowing she only wants him because he's next.



This is not to say that there aren't still The Weeknd tracks of old. The most adventurous track, and actually the most exciting track, is the menacing "Initiation." Detailing the corruption of his girl into the debaucherous pleasures of drugs, drink, and sex, Tesfaye's voice is pitch shifted and twisted into demonic layers as his girl falls deeper into the well.



"XO/The Host" recounts the tale of a girl coming back to her enabler, who has no qualm with taking advantage of her, singing "If they don't let you in/You know where to find me/And if you wanna go again/You can always call me."



While I still love these kind of lascivious tracks, the most telling thing about The Weeknd is that, ultimately, they don't want to be pigeonholed into being "the band that sings about drugs, sex and booze." On tracks like the title track, what it ultimately comes down to is that people do what they do so they are not alone, and most people are too afraid to admit that to anyone, even themselves.



Echoes of Silence is the perfect ending to the trilogy envisioned by Tesfaye. I will admit I was nervous after Thursday came out because it seemed like he was taking his aesthetic too far in one direction, but it all comes back with this release, and makes my rather tepid review of Thursday seem premature. In the context of the trilogy, each album serves a single purpose that in turn illuminates the whole. Echoes of Silence is more exciting proof that The Weeknd is the artist to watch in 2012.

Rating Scale:
Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.
Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.
Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.
Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.
Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.
Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.
Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

The Weeknd: Thursday

The Weeknd
Thursday
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

The Internet has been both a blessing and a curse with regards to music. The blessing is that it is now almost too easy to find, listen, download, and purchase music that once would have called for diligent searches in dozens of places. The curse is that because it is so easy to find music that artists almost have to constantly come out with new material so they are not forgotten by fans moving on to the next big thing. Canadian R&B experimentalists The Weeknd have definitely utilized the Internet to their advantage, initially creating mystery around who the band or person is/was, releasing a few singles to great acclaim, then dropping a free mixtape called House of Balloons that was filled with amazing takes on R&B cloaked in an air of debauchery and excess. House of Balloons was such a singular achievement, a vision tightly executed and realized, that I could only wonder what they would do next. The Weeknd barely gave us time to digest and appreciate House of Balloons before dropping the follow up mixtape Thursday, which can be downloaded for free here. And apparently a third installment, Echoes of Silence, is due before the end of the year. I loved House of Balloons, giving it almost a masterpiece rating, and have been eagerly anticipating more material from The Weeknd since, of course I have also been dreading it because I didn't want it to sully my thoughts on the first release. Thursday, while not nearly as brilliant as House of Balloons, is an intriguing record. On paper, it really should be a home run as all the elements that made House of Balloons a classic are there, but perhaps it is because the shock of the new has now sunk in, and Thursday just doesn't capture that moment in time as clearly. I will say that Thursday is far more consistent in sound and mood across the board, but there are none of the amazing standout highs that were on the first release. Without a "High For This," "House of Balloons/Glass Table," or "The Knowing," to give those incredibly jolts, Thursday cruises along, well, on cruise control. Perhaps in view of the planned triptych of albums, Thursday's place will come into better view, however, as it stands, it is merely a good record that pales a little bit in comparison with its sibling.

Thursday starts off strong with the excellent first single "Lonely Star" with its buzzy synths, clattering drum programming, and a typically impassioned vocal from vocalist Abel Tesfaye, showing some cracks in the armor of his cold personality, practically begging his conquest to come to bed with him, no longer the strong alpha male.



"Life of the Party" is solidly in the mold of songs from House of Balloons, with sleazy lyrics and delivery that flow through the dirty guitars.



Aside from these two tracks and the final track, Thursday doesn't seem to move out of its midtempo haze of foggy keyboards and druggy vocals. The songs individually are good, but over the span of the record, then tend to bleed into one another, lacking the melodic intricacies of House of Balloons. There are some beautifully produced songs, however, that keep this record at least interesting. "Gone" moves from a dub heavy bassline into a coda of blissed out R&B.



"Rolling Stone" finds Tesfaye's voice in strong form, his delivery getting more and more frantic as the song progresses, in complete contrast to the lovely acoustic backing.



But too often, the songs get lost in the druggy vibe and pass by unnoticed. Both "Thursday" and "The Zone," which are paired together, just meander in a haze, and not even a guest vocal turn from Drake on the latter can make it more memorable.



And the middle pairing of "The Birds Pt. 1" and "The Birds Pt. 2," meant to be a centerpiece to the album, sort of create a speedbump effect, slowing things down instead of creating forward momentum:





Perhaps I just expected too much from this album, and the fact it has been released so close to the release of House of Balloons has given it the unenviable position of being in a pretty large shadow. Taken out of the context of House of Balloons doesn't necessarily solve the problem, as Thursday is just not as strong. There are some good songs, but the lack of much needed variety makes the middle section of the record a slog. Based on the announced release of a third component this year, I think Thursday's ultimate position in The Weeknd's canon is undecided. Now I have to eagerly await the third release to see if my opinion changes.

Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

The Weeknd: House of Balloons

The Weeknd
House of Balloons
Rating: Woof Daddy

Not much is known about mysterious Toronto R&B collective The Weeknd, other than it is the project of 20-year-old singer/ songwriter Abel Tesfaye from Toronto, and that he has drawn the attention of fellow Canadian Drake. After teasing us with several singles, The Weeknd has released a free mixtape, House of Balloons, that can be downloaded here. The 9 songs are generally long, slow jams; creating a sustained mood of desperation, emptiness, and doubt. The music is lush and haunting, perfectly coinciding with the hedonistic tales set forth.

House of Balloons is all about mood. Frequently oppressive, steeped in loneliness, the narrators in the songs searching for pleasure to compensate for the emptiness that is never filled. It is a difficult album to listen to straight through, as there is little joy or light in this dark world. This singular approach, however, works, and the production and song writing quality is so strong, it cannot be dismissed.

Things get off bleakly with "High For This," with the narrator attempting to get his girl to perform some unknown, bizarre sexual act, which becomes all about his needs and not hers:



One of the standout tracks is the dual "House of Balloons/Glass Table Girls" taking a sample of Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Happy House," ironically observing a house that is anything but, merging into the dark electro of "Glass Table Girls," descending into the dark world of an after-party:



Although there is always a paranoid, dark mood lurking somewhere in each of the songs, this is not to say the album is not beautiful. The music is frequently gorgeous. "The Morning," works over lush synth washes and Aaliyah/Timbaland space beats; describing the hard life of women who use their bodies to make money:



"The Party and the After-Party," glides against a mutated Beach House sample:



The final three songs for a devastating triptych. "Coming Down," chronicles a man realizing his debauched lifestyle is ruining his relationship, his vocals getting more and more frantic as the song progresses:



In "Loft Music," he returns to his old ways, working too many women, the only goal being getting them in bed; but the loneliness is always there, the atmospheric dropout in the middle of the song being the perfect representation:



Ending with the fantastic track "The Knowing," the narrator punishing his girlfriend for his own sins. It becomes a difficult song to listen to, with the narrator pouring salt in deep wounds, oblivious to the serious pain and problems he has. His vocals culminating in a tortured wail:



I know I have painted this album as a bleak affair, but it is more complex than that. The music and vocals are frequently stunning, and it takes several listens before you really start hearing the lyrics and what they are exposing. The layers of House of Balloons are numerous, and multiple listens begin to peel them back one by one. It is a stunning debut, that hopefully foreshadows even greater things to come.

Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

The Weeknd: House of Balloons mixtape

Mysterious Toronto R&B collective The Weeknd has released a free mixtape, House of Balloons, that can be downloaded here. The 9 songs are generally long, slow jams; creating a sustained mood of desperation, emptiness, and doubt. The music is lush and haunting, perfectly coinciding with the hedonistic tales set forth. Bonus points for use of Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Happy House" in the title track.



My favorite song so far on House of Balloons is "Loft Music:"



I will likely have a review of the full mixtape in the coming weeks.