2011 was huge for The Weeknd. He released three mixtapes —House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence—which in 2012 were remastered & compiled into Trilogy. Kiss Land came a year later in 2013, and the debut album is heavily focused on the dark side of his newfound fame: "That's what Kiss Land is to me, an environment that's just honest fear." It depicts a lonely, vulnerable, sex & drug-addled artist on the verge of international stardom with the heavy soundscapes to match. The Weeknd's signature assets - anguished vocals, delicate falsetto, and perfectly crafted melodies are all here, and the chilly production, handled for the most part by DannyBoyStyles, Jason DaHeala Quenneville, and Abel himself, convey the melancholy & haze that shroud his mind & soul. Check out "Live For" featuring Drake or "Pretty," a track influenced by Phil Collins "In the Air Tonight." "Belong To the World," which samples Portishead (Geoff Barrow had some issues w/ this one), is also one of the highlights, as are "Adaptation" and "Kiss Land." This is the 5th anniversary reissue of Kiss Land pressed on colored (seaglass) vinyl.

• 5-year anniversary edition on seaglass vinyl
• music label: Island Records 2013 / 2018

reviewed by pocari papi 09/18