The Weeknd – Echoes Of Silence
Releasing his third album of 2011, The Weeknd has both established himself as one of the hardest working men in modern R&B but also as one of the most talented (House of Balloons is maybe the best album of the year and Thursday was very good too – all are available for download here). Echoes of Silence is very brooding and moody. It has a much quirkier sound than The Weeknd’s previous releases, but works in terms of the progression of his sound across his 2011 trilogy. Illangelo, who produced on both the previous releases, produced the bulk of the album, but Clams Casino and DropxLife also contribute. House of Balloons has a few standout hits and Thursday has some standout moments as well, but this album is more of an experience that envelops the whole album (though, the Michael Jackson cover of Dirty Diana D.D. is a fantastic track that does standout to open the album), making it an album that should be listened all the way through to get the full experience. The Weeknd’s lyrics and singing have both improved over his three releases, and all three are flawlessly and impressively produced (some of the best production of the year, if not the best). And, these are just his mixtapes that he released for free – what can we expect from his first commercial release slated for 2012? Echoes of Silence is a great album (if I had to rank them, I would say: House of Balloons, Echoes of Silence, Thursday), and I cannot wait for what he releases next. In my opinion, The Weeknd is the best artist in modern R&B right now (which includes Frank Ocean, The-Dream and many others). 4/5
Editor’s Essential Tracks:
1) D.D. – Produced by Illangelo
2) The Fall - Produced by Illangelo and Clams Casino
3) XO/The Host - Produced by Illangelo
Available on Digital Download
No comments:
Post a Comment