Benz and a Backpack

The third and final installment of the House of Balloons mix tape series is finally here. The Weeknd has become immensely popular since dropping his first tape back in March. Each one is an experience; they instantly evoke a feeling of euphoria and it’s easy to lose track of time giving any of them a play through. There’s a certain duality to the music. Abel’s polished crooning and crude tales of lust and substance abuse excite you while gloomy atmospheric production and down-tempo 808′s hypnotize you.  Even the tracks that extend past seven minutes can leave you feeling left short. That’s not to say he doesn’t deliver. You just might find yourself fiending for more. Also-not to sound like an Enzyte commercial here-but, if you want to heat things up, the series is also a fairly potent aphrodisiac. Or as Juicy J puts it, “The Weeknd’s music makes the ladie’s panties get wet.”

Echoes Of Silence is an impressive end to the series; it’s still the same sensual pill-popping songster reflecting on his encounters with females, but it also brings something new to the table. EOS is a bit more personal then the previous two, we’ve been introduced to the XO life already, this time around we’re getting to know Abel. He channels the late King of Pop to sing about an encounter with a particularly cruel groupie on “D.D“. On “XO” we find him reasoning with a girl repenting her escapades with the XO gang; he tells her, “just don’t blame it on me…cause all we ever do is love.” The XO life isn’t for everyone, but you don’t have to be addicted to anything to relate to this tape. There’s something oddly comforting about the fact that he has “been alone for almost all [his] life.”

So, If you haven’t already, I strongly urge you to give these tapes a listen sooner rather than later.

Stream/Download Echoes of Silence + Thursday + House of Balloons after the skip! enjoy.

Download: The Weeknd – Echoes of Silence (Mix Tape) [December 2011]

Alternate Link

Download: The Weeknd – Thursday (Mix Tape) [August 2011]

Download: The Weeknd – House of Balloons  (Mix Tape) [March 2011]

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