The Weeknd - 'Kiss Land'

By Max Goodley

The WeekndKiss LandXO/Republic

After releasing three critically-acclaimed mixtapes (House of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes of Silence) in 2011 and later remastering them in 2012, Ontario’s The Weeknd has released his debut album Kiss Land.The album’s production includes orchestration, which adds positively to the sound by giving it an epic feel and an added layer of depth.Too bad the quality of the songs do not match the production value; most of the tracks are uninspired and sound somewhat dull (“Love in the Sky”) compared to his worthier songs “Wicked Games” and “High for This” from the House of Balloons mixtape.The melodies feel safe, and the lyrics aren’t on the same level as his mixtapes, with the exception of a few songs that are definitely among some of his best work, like single “Belong to the World” and the title track.Kiss Land is a disappointing album overall but only because The Weeknd has written better material and has sung with more gustoon his mixtapes than he does here.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLr0usOC2_k