Album Review: The Weeknd - Kiss Land

Abel Tesfaye aka The Weeknd is one dangerously seductive dude. He has knack for creating songs that make you feel ashamed and dirty, yet empowered and sexy all at the same time – something he established in spades on his 2012 compilation Trilogy. Most of those tunes had been previously released in separate mixtapes so his latest offering Kiss Land seems like a whole new ball game for the singer-songwriter.

But if you're looking for a complete sound overhaul from Tesfaye on this record, you might be slightly disappointed. While he does play around with more distorted sounds on some tracks, he generally sticks to the formula that he does best: bass-heavy beats with honest, intriguing and completely unique lyrics.

Professional has an almost trip hop feel to it, setting the tone for the record in captivating fashion. The MJ comparisons shine through on The Town while the title track is a dark hybrid of electro, hip hop magic. The singer also teams up with previous collaborator Drake on one of the standouts, Live For, which is classic Weeknd – changing tempos, hitting high notes and holding our attention from start to finish. Pretty is another impressive number. It highlights Tesfaye's vulnerability and sensitivity at its best.

The hype that has surrounded The Weeknd will always have some potential to disadvantage the music he puts out. But he continues to live up to it and produce the kind of avant-garde R&B that most other artists would kill to create.