The Weeknd 

                                                   House of Balloons

                                                          8.8/10

                                                       iPod Worthy

There isn’t too much info about the rapper (group?) The Weeknd. A few months ago he dropped an out-of-this-world track called “What You Need,” which appears on this mixtape. Since then, there hasn’t been too much besides a few other songs here and there. Then suddenly, earlier this week this glorious record is put up on Weeknd’s website - just in time for spring.

Its been a good year for mixtapes with both jj and M.I.A. releasing killer records a few months ago. Now we’ve been graced with House of Balloons, easily the best “mixtape” of the year if not all around record. (Side note: I put “mixtape” in quotes because I don’t really understand how this qualifies as such. I mean as far as I know this is all original material besides some heavy sampling. But I digress.) The record is so fresh and knew but still sounds like something you’ve heard before, in every best possible sense.

One word to describe the LP is sexy. It oozes pure swag as each word Weeknd sings feels like he’s tying to put the moves on you. Take the single, “What You Need” for example. “I just wanna take you there,” he sings with complete confidence over a minimal backwards drum loop and dazed synths. But while that track is strong on its own, the album only continues to steamroll with more and more goose-bump-inducing songs. 

“The Morning” is hands down the best track on HoB. It starts off with a light Santana-esque electric guitar solo until Weeknd launches into his lyrics with his sexy voice. He sets up sort of a story with amazing imagery and clever lyrics. Basically its about what seems pretty simple; waking up in the morning with a girl that you picked up at a club got drunk with and fucked. But there is something so universally appealing about this track, and a lot of the other songs. Not to mention the killer hook “all that money, the money is the motive/all that money, the money she be folding” and the chorus “girl put in work, girl-girl put in work.”

The double track “House of Balloons - Glass Table Girls” is also worth mentioning. The former song samples a Siouxsie and the Banshees track but its infused with Weeknds dark and twisted loops and synths and of course he sings and raps wonderfully over it. The only qualm (and not really his fault as I’m sure this was produced awhile ago) is when Weeknd sings “fun, fun, fun, fun” and I can’t help but laugh and think of Rebecca Black. Anyway, the song then bleeds into the latter track, which turns out even better. Its even darker and becomes more serious. The song is about drug life, as is a lot of the mixtape. But this song showcases a lot of what Weeknd can do, musically and lyrically.

But the real clincher to this entire thing is the surprising sampling of Beach House on not one, but two tracks. I never really understood the kin between BH and the rap community. Beyonce and Jay-Z have been spotted at their shows, they’ve covered Gucci Mane and now the Weeknd is sampling the dream-pop duo. Regardless of all that, the two songs “The Party” and “Loft Music” just tie the entire album together perfectly and shut it down. The first mentioned song, uses parts from the Baltimore outfit’s first ever single “Master of None” (and personally still my favorite song of theirs). In “Loft Music” Weeknd takes advantage of Victoria Legrad’s oohing and aahing from “Gila”. Upon first listen of these songs, I was taken aback and not really sure if this worked. But it didn’t take long for it to grow on me as it is pretty hard to hate on.

It won’t take long before the Weeknd takes off, maybe even hitting mainstream culture but I’m not too sure about that, although Drake has already Tweeted his praises about him/them. Regardless if no one Tweets about him, if you never hear a song of his on the radio or TV or if Mr and Mrs Knowles show up at his concert there is one thing for sure: HoB is wonderfully refreshing. Its new and different while still remaning nostalgic to a specific time and feel. Its 90s slow jamz for the 21st century and I for one welcome it with open arms. 

(The mixtape is free on The Weeknds website. So, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be downloading it right now and listening to The Weeknd this weeknd. Ok lame but hey go here to down load it.)