House of Balloons

Technically speaking, The Weeknd is an R&B artist, though his sound is more easily described by the mood it creates than any genre could. Druggy, sinful, and downright indulgent, this self-released mixtape is all of these and more: a timely marriage of The-Dream's forward-thinking, conceptual R&B opuses and The xx's dark, downtempo sound. Released online only, under an aura of mystery and anonymity (well, and a Drake connection, of course), House Of Balloons marks the first of a planned trilogy from the 21-year old polymath Abel Tesfaye. There are tracks that could pass for R. Kelly fare ("The Morning," "What You Need") were they handled by a more traditional producer, but that's just scratching the surface of what this 21-year old musician has to offer. The multifaceted "House Of Balloons/Glass Table Girls" is perhaps his strongest showing, with an almost-jubilant first half fused into macabre, coke-addled outro. Opener "High For This" offers some of the most entrancing vocal effects this side of Bon Iver. The mixtape samples Siouxsie and the Banshees, Cocteau Twins and Beach House, while simultaneously channeling the sound Lil' Wayne's "Lollipop" brought to mainstream radio. As much as this sounds like some music journalist's scattered fantasy, House Of Balloons holds together as one of the most skillfully experimental, yet cohesive albums in recent memory.