Album:Echoes of Silence
Artist:The Weeknd
Label:XO
Release Date:Dec. 21
Grade:B+
Singer Abel Tesfaye enters 2012 as less of an artist and more of an enigma.
The artist, known as The Weeknd, grasped the attention of many listeners when he released his critically-acclaimed debut, House of Balloons, last year. People knew little about the Toronto native's origin, but his blunt tales about promiscuity and loss kept his fans interested.
Echoes of Silence is the final piece of his 2011 mixtape trilogy, and fans know almost as little as they did about The Weeknd as they did in his debut. Even the release itself was shrouded in darkness – it was quietly released well into a December night.
Perhaps what is most impressive about Echoes of Silence is that it's still a captivating listen, even though it revisits the same themes as his first two mixtapes. Once again, the narrator finds himself in an endless cycle that involves lust, sex, drugs, and abandonment. His latest effort doesn't capture the same intrigue as his debut, but the fact that he can still find ways to surprise listeners with the same subject matter is an achievement in itself.
The Weeknd's first track, "D.D," is a prime example of this. The song starts with baby-like vocal samples accompanied by ambient sounds, until about 36 seconds into the song when he sings, "You'll never make me stay, so take your weight off of me/I know your every move so won't you just let me be?"
It's a cover of Michael Jackson's "Dirty Diana," and an excellent one at that.
The cover and similar themes may lead some to believe that he's being campy at first, but it's clear the Tesfaye is pushing himself.
In Echoes of Silence, listeners will hear less of his blunt, sometimes violent lyrics featured in his first two efforts in exchange for a more poetic approach. Tesfaye's deceptively vulnerable vocals and lyrics bring the album to a head in "XO/The Host" and "Initiation." The Weeknd talks his target into a false sense of security in a story of manipulation and a possible gang rape. The voice-altering effects in "Initiation" make the moments that much more demented.
Tesfaye's journey is accompanied by excellent production. The instrumentals are lush and variant; not a single element feels wasted on any of the tracks. The eastern flavor of "Outside" and the sorrowful piano of "Echoes of Silence" feature some of the best production of 2011.
The Weeknd does tread some tired territory in "Same Old Song" and "Next." Tesfaye scolds his sexual partners for wanting him only for his fame. These songs are far too predictable and contradict his appeal. But a hilarious surprise appearance from rapper Juicy J at the end of "Same Old Song" makes the missteps forgivable.
Echoes of Silence closes out The Weeknd's mixtape trilogy on a high note. As his voice slowly vanishes at the end of the final track, there's still a sense that he still has much more to say.
Is there more to The Weeknd than a sexual deviant? Even if there isn't, listeners should be coming back for more.
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