Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, has blessed his fans with a new 18 track album – it is his third release which follows on from the worldwide success of last year’s ‘Beauty Behind The Madness’. Singles such as I Can’t Feel My Face and The Hills were both extremely well received, both showing polar opposite styles that he manages to pull off with ease. With just a quick look at the track list and artists featured it is clear to see that he shows no sign of slowing down, Daft Punk, Lana Del Rey and Kendrick Lamar all play a part in telling this chapter of Abel’s story.
The album’s title track starts this off with a decent collaboration with french dance music wizards Daft Punk, his vocal performance is as good as ever but if anything the melodies seem all too familiar. Party Monster is a colder offering which once again tells stories of his drug filled past, the trap style production suits the much darker subject matter ‘woke up by a girl I don’t even know her name’. False Alarm is next and it jacks the tempo up considerably to a 80’s pop beat, the throwback style mixed with EDM elements end up with some untidy moments. Reminder is up next and is the first glimmer of a classic The Weeknd hit, this one brings him into full R&B mode showing off with his usual onslaught of perfect melody and harmony writing. The much softer accompaniment still has plenty of weight but holds back just enough to let the fantastic vocals shine.
Rockin’ shows similarities to the popular I Can’t Feel My Face but this time it is much less disco and a little more Disclosure, the sexy house stabs and bass certainly do the trick, fans of Breach and Andreya Triana’s 2013 hit single Everything You Never Had will surely approve. Secrets however moved back towards this 80’s pop influence that is beginning to take over his sound, the slide guitar elements and slick tom rolls make for an irresistibly catchy listen. True Colours brings the tempo back down again with a sweet half time beat, it also features some very cleverly pitched backing vocals that add a lot of depth to another impressive song.
Surprisingly the second feature on this album with Lana del Rey is actually listed as an interlude, at under 2 minutes it is still an absolute masterpiece. Their vocal tones are a match made in heaven, two artists who are not afraid to bend the rules but know how far to push it. Sonically the tracks elements are pieced together perfectly, from the strange sound effects filling the gaps to the gorgeous synthetic pads it just keeps getting better. Lana’s beautiful ad libs highlight her immaculate higher register, providing the album with its best moment so far at almost the half way point. From one collaboration to another, and unfortunately the Kendrick Lamar track doesn’t quite hold up in comparison.
Throughout the next few tracks you hear Abel doing what he does best, both sides of his trademark sound are showcased skilfully but it does feel as if it has been done before. Until the hook on Attention comes in it is hard to distinguish any real stand out tracks, not because they are bad tracks but more due to their similarities to his other work. Nothing Without You and All I Know which features Future are definitely more of a statement, fans of Torey Lanez will prefer the gangster vibe that both artists bring to the latter. A tough, slow trap beat keeps it simple but effective, Future is in great form using his trademark auto-tune rapping style made famous by T-Pain. The final tracks Die For You and I Feel It Coming (featuring Daft Punk) are a much brighter ending to an album which has many deep tracks as well, the second Daft Punk collaboration is especially upbeat melodically and features beautifully vocoded singing, as well as funky muted guitar chops.
This is without a doubt another smash from The Weeknd, artists will always struggle to find a balance between re-hashing their popular styles and experimenting with pushing boundaries, however this album sits comfortably between the two. Why not come and have a listen on one of our systems in store to decide for yourself?
