The Weeknd drops his third mixtape of 2011, Echoes of Silence

Last night, Abel Tesfaye—a.k.a. The Weeknd, a.k.a. the man who out-Draked Drake—released his third, highly anticipated mixtape, Echoes of Silence. We’re still processing our reaction to it (and trying to figure out what an echo of silence sounds like), but on a casual first listen the record comes off a heck of a lot less restrained than the two previous offerings, House of Balloons and Thursday. There are fewer layers of reverb drowning Tesfaye’s vocals, which positively channel Michael Jackson on the first track, “D.D,” a gloomy reimagining of “Dirty Diana” off M.J.’s Bad. Fans needn’t worry, though; 2011’s signature sad-sack Lothario vibe remains intact. Get the mixtape »