Echoes of Silence
| Echoes of Silence | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Mixtape by The Weeknd | ||||
| Released | December 21, 2011 | |||
| Recorded | 2011 | |||
| Length | 45:45 | |||
| Label | XO | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| The Weeknd chronology | ||||
| ||||
Echoes of Silence is the third mixtape by Canadian singer The Weeknd, released December 21, 2011, by his official website.[1] The release follows his Polaris Music Prize-nominated debut release House of Balloons and his second mixtape Thursday,[2] both released earlier the same year. The project is the final installment in the trilogy of free albums released by The Weeknd in 2011.[3]
The album was preceded by the release of the single, "Initiation". Long-time collaborator Carlo "Illangelo" Montagnese returned to produce the bulk of the project, with other production contributions coming from Clams Casino and DropxLife of the XO crew. Rapper Juicy J contributes a short spoken-word interlude at the end of "Same Old Song".
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.7/10[4] |
| Metacritic | 82/100[5] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| The A.V. Club | B+[7] |
| Chicago Tribune |  [8] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[9] |
| The Guardian | [10] |
| Now | 4/5[11] |
| Pitchfork | 8.1/10[12] |
| Rolling Stone | [13] |
| Slant Magazine | [14] |
| Spin | 8/10[15] |
Echoes of Silence received widespread acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 82, based on 17 reviews.[5] Evan Rytlewski of The A.V. Club said, "It's Tesfaye's total commitment to his ghastly persona that makes Echoes Of Silence so entrancingly chilling."[7] Greg Kot of Chicago Tribune said, "It's an impressive consolidation of his strengths, tightening up his songwriting and sharpening his often disturbing wordplay."[8] Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly said, "Tesfaye's velvety melodies infuse his trippy minimalism like incense smoke, getting lost only on the too-woozy title track."[9] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian said, "The dragging beats, washes of synthesiser and eclectic musical references – chillwave and crunk hip-hop, Aaliyah and France Gall – somehow contrive to sound not just eerie and desolate but cosseting as well, inexorably drawing the listener into a deeply troubling world."[10]
Benjamin Boles of Now said, "The mood is still dark, druggy and claustrophobic, but this time Tesfaye is channelling a pain that's less about cold emptiness than it is about more traditional heartbreak and longing"[11] Andrew Ryce of Pitchfork said, "A strong finish to Tesfaye's first trilogy, providing just enough closure to satisfy, and just enough mystery left to entice us back for the next round."[12] Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone said, "The Weeknd has helped make R&B a creepier place, crooning too-honest come-ons over cavernous, ballad-slow tracks that balance leering sensuality with vague menace."[13] Matthew Cole of Slant Magazine said, "Disappointing as Echoes of Silence may be as a collection of songs, it nonetheless serves its purpose in giving the Weeknd's triptych a suitably grim finale."[14] Brandon Soderberg of Spin said, "Echoes is a profound listen that, despite its veneer of cynicism, oozes pain and crisis."[15]
The album was named as a longlisted nominee for the 2012 Polaris Music Prize on June 14, 2012. This marks the second consecutive year The Weeknd has been nominated for the award.[16]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "D.D." ("Dirty Diana" cover) | Michael Jackson | Illangelo | 4:35 |
| 2. | "Montreal" |
| Illangelo | 4:10 |
| 3. | "Outside" |
| Illangelo | 4:20 |
| 4. | "XO / The Host" |
| Illangelo | 7:23 |
| 5. | "Initiation" |
|
|
4:20 |
| 6. | "Same Old Song" |
| Illangelo | 5:12 |
| 7. | "The Fall" |
|
|
5:45 |
| 8. | "Next" |
| Illangelo | 6:00 |
| 9. | "Echoes of Silence" |
| Illangelo | 4:02 |
References
- ↑ "The Weeknd". Retrieved August 27, 2016.
- ↑ "The Weeknd – 'Echoes of Silence' Mixtape – TheNext2Shine.com – New R&B Music Video, R&B Soul News Interview, Emerging Undiscovered Unsigned Talent". next2shine. Retrieved 2013-07-11.
- ↑ "Drizzy on Twitter: "@theweekndxo Trilogy complete."". Retrieved August 27, 2016.
- ↑ "Echoes Of Silence by The Weeknd reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
- 1 2 "Reviews for Echoes of Silence by The Weeknd". Metacritic. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
- ↑ "Echoes of Silence – The Weeknd". AllMusic. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- 1 2 Rytlewski, Evan (January 12, 2012). "The Weeknd: Echoes of Silence". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
- 1 2 Kot, Greg (January 10, 2012). "Album review: The Weeknd, 'Echoes of Silence'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- 1 2 Anderson, Kyle (January 10, 2012). "Echoes of Silence". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- 1 2 Petridis, Alexis (January 12, 2012). "The Weeknd: Echoes of Silence – review". The Guardian. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- 1 2 Boles, Benjamin (January 5, 2012). "The Weeknd's Echoes Of Silence". Now. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- 1 2 Ryce, Andrew (January 3, 2012). "The Weeknd: Echoes of Silence". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- 1 2 Dolan, Jon (January 4, 2012). "Echoes of Silence". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- 1 2 Cole, Matthew (January 7, 2012). "The Weeknd: Echoes of Silence". Slant Magazine. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- 1 2 Soderberg, Brandon (December 22, 2011). "The Weeknd, 'Echoes of Silence' (Self-released)". Spin. Archived from the original on January 4, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ↑ "Polaris Prize long list includes lots of Toronto bands". Toronto Star. Retrieved June 14, 2012.