Last year's 'Trilogy' was merely a collection of Tesfaye's previous three mixtapes, so really it's been almost two years since we've had an album of fresh material. Love In The Sky has hit the interweb in anticipation for next month's 'Kiss Land', giving us an indication as to the direction of the forthcoming album, alongside the militaristic Belong To The World and title track Kiss Land.
Many have likened Tesfaye's vocals to Michael Jackson, a comparison he appears to be playing up to. Here, his softly crooning falsetto sounds more like MJ than ever, though lyrically Love In The Sky remains provocative.
It's clear, though, that 'Kiss Land' will be a more polished affair than the gritty work of debut 'House of Balloons'. Gone are the stripped back edgy beats and chopped samples in favour of smooth, rich layers soaked in sensuality. Then, in the final third, it all drops out to the sexiest of all bass lines, like a comedown from the preceding torrent of synths.
As the storm and rain effects show, however, Tesfaye hasn't lost his acute sense for mood and atmospherics. 'Kiss Land' is shaping up to be one hell of an album.
4/5
Listen: 'Kiss Land' is released on September 10th.
