Photo: Complex

I’m usually delinquent when it comes to assessing the latest e-crazes, but reminders to give projects a fair share hang around like mental Post-It notes. My proverbial wall of suggestions resembles a clustered, college bulletin board right now. However, after having finally gotten around to checking out one of those suggestions – The Weeknd’s House Of Balloons – there’s a few points to be shared from my listening experience.

House Of Balloons is not as exciting as advertised. The album’s highs lie in how its best tracks are produced but it’s widely-accepted standing as R&B’s newest sensation is lost on me. Of course, being the new voice of a genre is a loaded expectation to fill and it’s an inevitable topic to address when trying to put my own listening experience in relation to the overwhelming praise the project has already received.

Naturally, there are a couple of joints with replay value. “What You Need” features an introductory “Rock The Boat” sample and gradual chords laying the backdrop for The Weeknd’s covetous remarks towards a young dame. The song’s sparse, calculated composition makes it the album’s most compelling offering. “What You Need” is simple yet doesn’t feel under-produced; an effect many songs target yet few achieve.

“Coming Down” has an airy vibe that caught my ear and became my second-favorite track from the project. That honor is mainly credited to the song’s assembly: light strings blend with singer Abel Tesfaye’s voice quite masterfully and the eerie breeze gives the record a cool atmosphere. It’s songs like this where the initial confusion over how many people comprised The Weeknd probably originated. The way Tesfaye’s voice is layered here and throughout the album proves his producers conceptualized some neat ways to incorporate his vocals.

Supporters are probably looking at me sideways for not discussing “Wicked Games” and “Party & The After Party” at length. They simply didn’t resonate like the songs previously mentioned and serve as microcosms for the album: drug and debauchery-laced music that’s alright in doses but wears on the listener when played front to back. It’s reliance on living a self-aggrandizing, zooted-out high life grew tiring. Therefore, I’d eventually skip around and always returned to the aforementioned pieces. Perhaps it’ll pick up steam with more plays but, for now, a few choice cuts are all I need.

The Weeknd – “What You Need”

The Weeknd – “Coming Down”

Download — The Weeknd – House of Balloons | Alt. Link