Pitchforks: 3.5/5
The Weeknd is quickly becoming recognized as an imminent stalwart in music through the popularity of his most recent album “Echoes of Silence”. Not much was known about the artist Abel Tesfaye when his first mixtape “House of Balloons” dropped for free in March of 2011. Its polished production and unflinchingly autobiographical overtures of post-party remorse resonated with listeners.
His second mixtape, “Thursday”, was released in mid-August, but his latest album, “Echoes of Silence”, proves to be the most popular. When the album first launched online, the artist’s website crashed due to unexpectedly high traffic. Links were provided through his Twitter account to different third-party download sites in order to cater to the high demand.
The new album is the third part to “The Trilogy” of The Weeknd’s free releases and stays true to Tesfaye’s signature aesthetic. The production quality is perpetually tangible, and although the choral hook additions are fleeting compared to his first two releases, they remain equally dynamic.
The consummate compositions of his backing tracks thrive on their own without the flourishes of Tesfaye’s melodramatic auto-tuned tenor. “Echoes of Silence” starts off with matchless momentum that only briefly wavers with the second half of the album.
“Echoes” opens with an excellent cover of Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana” and continues into “Montreal” - the strongest offering from this album. On “Montreal”, native Canadian Tesfaye polarizes the chorus with a crossover between a delicately farouche, half-sung, half-spoken French dialogue looped behind a driving tribal drumbeat.
The other part of the chorus voices a dissonant complaint with the lyrics: “Girl, you could have had me doing anything you pleased/ Know you should have took your time and thought of what to say to me.”
Unfortunately, this is as deep as the lyrics ever get. The song “XO/The Host” is a complex and impressive network of drums and electronic instruments coupled with a snarling guitar line that could be worthy of a single release. However, the lyrics are mystifyingly bereft of any engaging complexities and only make the listener consider the cliché of glamorous living and its consequences.
There are no particularly clever lyrics in the album, and Tesfaye never shows a desire to be acclaimed for his poetic talents. The subject matter of almost every track exudes the same semi-reproachful feeling of lustful exuberance and a jaded carnality that has become a crutch to the singer throughout his albums.
Overall, what makes “Echoes of Silence” stand out are the dexterous production elements that Michael Jackson might just be proud of. With this third album, The Weeknd has started to establish its place in the hierarchy of modern R&B and hip-hop.
Reach the reporter at rrockliffe@asu.edu
