D.D.: This cover of Michael Jackson’s Dirty Diana (which is apparently The Weeknd’s #1 favorite song) is vocally faithful to the classic original song, but it’s also interestingly dark and unique enough to set itself apart from the original, and not just feel like a carbon copy of it. A strong start to this mixtape.
Montreal: This one has an extremely catchy beat, and it’s nicely funky and upbeat. Abel’s performance is also really strong on this one. I wish his French singing in the intro and outro was a bit clearer (I really like French, and it’s just a personal preference), but that doesn’t detract from an otherwise excellent song that will definitely get repeat listens out of me.
Outside: Another nicely eerie, creepy song that’s extremely catchy and features a really interesting instrumental. The lyrics are just as creepy as the instrumentals, too. Another very enjoyable song.
XO / The Host: At first, when I saw that this was over 7 minutes long, I feared for the worst. Fortunately, the song is very enjoyable. XO’s super catchy drum beat is complimented nicely by some interesting guitar tracks in the hook. The vocals are also fantastic and Abel’s flow is rock-solid. The transition between XO and The Host also sounds really interesting. And even if The Host is far slower and features some of that “empty space” I’m not too fond of, it’s really anchored by Abel’s vocal performance. Great track overall.
Initiation: Starts off really creepily, and the changing vocal effects on The Weeknd’s voice are really weird and inconsistent, but I actually quite like this one. It feels really different, the beat is really strong, and Abel’s flow remains strong even if he doesn’t really have one, single voice here. Really interesting one that I’m sure will grow on me even further in the future.
Same Old Song (ft. Juicy J): I love the hook on this one, and it features a really interesting beat and sound overall. And though it’s pretty slow-paced, it’s really catchy and Abel’s vocals remain as good as ever. It’s not my personal favorite track on the mixtape, and I’m not crazy about Juicy J’s random hyping at the very end, but it’s another pretty good track overall.
The Fall: The beat on this one is really interesting, Abel continues to bring good flow on the verses, and I really like the lyrical content, where Abel talks about how he isn’t scared of falling off because he’s already been at the lowest of the low before. Another good listen, even if it could’ve ended a bit sooner.
Next: I like the piano melody at the beginning of this one, and Abel’s performance on this song is one of his best on the mixtape. The lyrical content is really interesting, the beat is really strong, and the song is fantastically catchy and plenty of fun to listen to. One of my personal favorite tracks on the mixtape, I’m not quite sure why I was neglecting this song for so long, it’s excellent.
Echoes of Silence: I really like the very slow, piano-heavy melody on this one and the overall melancholy tone of Abel’s voice, the lyrics, and the song as a whole. In many ways, it feels very different from many of the other songs on this mixtape, and I think this song begs repeat listens. Really a fantastic way to end off the mixtape (if you don’t count the bonus track), and it’s definitely a really memorable song.
Till Dawn (Here Comes The Sun) (2012 Trilogy bonus track): Another bonus track featured only on Trilogy. I absolutely love the beat on this one, and the instrumental melody is so catchy. Abel’s vocals are also very strong, his flow and rhythm remain rock solid and the lyrical content is really interesting, This one is also extremely enjoyable, and I’m definitely gonna listen to this one on repeat in the future.
Overall, “Echoes of Silence” is not only the strongest of The Weeknd’s three mixtapes, but it’s also a really strong, incredible project. There were legitimately no songs on this tape that I didn’t like, and even the “worst” song on the mixtape was still a good listen. It’s clear that, with this tape, Abel put a lot of time and effort into really considering the flaws from his first two tapes, and the increased polish is on full display here. Even the longer tracks on this tape are good, and the quality as a whole is excellent. Congratulations, Abel. Your old stuff wasn’t clicking with me before, but with “Echoes of Silence,” you succeeded with flying colors.
Favorite tracks: D.D., Montreal, Outside, Next, Echoes of Silence, Till Dawn (Here Comes The Sun).
Least favorite track: The Fall, if I had to pick one.
Rating: Excellent
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