Album review: Bibio / ‘Ambivalence Avenue’ (Warp)
Aug 21st, 2009 | By admin | Category: Big Shot Magazine, Music Reviews
Stephen Wilkinson, the man behind Bibio’s rustling organic electronica, has been on something of a hot streak so far this year. After dropping Vignetting The Compost on Mush back in February, he was quickly snapped up by the acclaimed Warp imprint and started in on the follow-up.
Dubbed Ambivalence Avenue, this album finds Wilkinson not only settling into his new home at Warp, but also exploring new ground as an artist. Whereas his previous three albums were largely instrumental affairs comprised off soft-focus patterns built from ragged guitar loops and field recordings, Ambivalence Avenue is a different kind of beast altogether. Flitting between two distinct styles, the record alternates between sounding like outtakes from Badly Drawn Boy’s The Hour Of Bewilderbeast and what can only be a country bumpkin’s reversioning of the sort of neon-hued bass music Flying Lotus and Prefuse 73 have built their names on—two artists who (coincidentally?) are among Wilkinson’s new label mates. Ultimately, however, the album is far from his strongest work, but there are glimmers of brilliance on show that indicate Wilkinson’s next effort may very well be a masterpiece.
Carl Ritger
File under: Prefuse 73, Boards Of Canada, Badly Drawn Boy
