House of Balloons

     It's really refreshing when you hear something new that isn't quite like anything else you've ever heard.   The Weeknd released a 9 song mixtape in March that would be classified as R&B although it transcends that genre in many ways.  The 20 year old Toronto native, Abel Tesfaye, is behind this fantastic blend of modern love and raw emotion called  House of Balloons.  The production creates a landscape by going in different directions but all ending at the same point of delivering a very consistent sound.  This is an album that you hit play and listen to it in it's entirety.  It's worth it, believe me.   The hip-hop, electronic sound invokes Sade, The XX, and Drake, who has been one of The Weeknd's biggest supporters.  Another plus to this is that you can download the album for FREE from his site at http://the-weeknd.com/ or link through Drake's label's site, October's Very Own by clicking on the right hand side.   I'm definitely looking forward to the next release from The Weeknd.  Currently, there are no official video's released even though some fans have done their own versions.
You can download the album from this link as well.
Download The Weeknd - House of Balloons