Echoes of Silence is the third mixtape by Canadian singer The Weeknd, released on December 21, 2011, by his official website. The release follows his Polaris Music Prize-nominated debut release House ofBalloons and his second mixtape Thursday, both released earlier the same year. The project is the final installment in the trilogy of free albums released by The Weeknd in 2011. Echoes of Silence was preceded by the release of the promotional single, "Initiation", on October 10, 2011. Long-time collaborator Carlo "Illangelo" Montagnese returned to produce the bulk of the project, with other production contributions coming from Clams Casino and DropxLife. Rapper Juicy J contributes a short spoken-word interlude at the end of "Same Old Song".
Critical reception
Echoes of Silence received widespread acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the mixtape received an average score of 82, based on 17 reviews. Evan Rytlewski of The A.V. Club said, "It's Tesfaye's total commitment to his ghastly persona that makes Echoes Of Silence so entrancingly chilling." Greg Kot of Chicago Tribune said, "It's an impressive consolidation of his strengths, tightening up his songwriting and sharpening his often disturbing wordplay." Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly said, "Tesfaye's velvety melodies infuse his trippy minimalism like incense smoke, getting lost only on the too-woozy title track." Alexis Petridis of The Guardian said, "The dragging beats, washes of synthesiser and eclectic musical references – chillwave and crunk hip-hop, Aaliyah and France Gall – somehow contrive to sound not just eerie and desolate but cosseting as well, inexorably drawing the listener into a deeply troubling world." Benjamin Boles of Now said, "The mood is still dark, druggy and claustrophobic, but this time Tesfaye is channelling a pain that's less about cold emptiness than it is about more traditional heartbreak and longing" Andrew Ryce of Pitchfork said, "A strong finish to Tesfaye's first trilogy, providing just enough closure to satisfy, and just enough mystery left to entice us back for the next round." Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone said, "The Weeknd has helped make R&B a creepier place, crooning too-honest come-ons over cavernous, ballad-slow tracks that balance leering sensuality with vague menace." Matthew Cole of Slant Magazine said, "Disappointing as Echoes of Silence may be as a collection of songs, it nonetheless serves its purpose in giving the Weeknd's triptych a suitably grim finale." Brandon Soderberg of Spin said, "Echoes is a profound listen that, despite its veneer of cynicism, oozes pain and crisis." The album was named as a longlisted nominee for the 2012 Polaris Music Prize on June 14, 2012. This marks the second consecutive year The Weeknd has been nominated for the award.
