Back to The Best Albums of 2011

2. The Weeknd, 'House of Balloons'

Amazon

Ominous Portishead-bleak beatscapes echo around the aching emptiness of Abel Tesfaye’s soaring falsetto as Toronto’s self-loathing avant-R&B crooner claws his way through the druggy, dead-eyed side of the club scene that everyone else sings so gleeful about. He’s gotta feeling alright -- it’s just a very bad one. -- J.O.