Bibio is Warp records’ latest signing Stephen Wilkinson. As such, this compendium revels in the odd, outlandish and glitchy. Combining the quirk of Aphex Twin‘s Drukqs and the euphonious sensibilities of America‘s Hearts, Ambivalence Avenue displays an inventive, wistful and curious talent. Though Stephen’s stripped down acoustic performances (as on ‘The Palm Of Your Wave’) are reminiscent of Nick Drake or Donovan, his vocal delivery throughout tends to rely on an American accent with harmonies to thicken out an otherwise thin delivery. Appearing to lack the technical ability to fully emulate any of his inspirations, Bibio’s interpretations take a lo-fi path that aren’t really lo-fi at all but cunningly disguised as such.
Starting with a stroll down ‘Ambivalence Avenue‘, the sunshine skipping 3/4 beat, a backwards guitar solo and “Do-do-de-do-do” sing-a-long chorus all form an inviting beginning to a varied and enthralling record. Dipping his toe into a puddle of funk (‘Jealous Of Roses’), Bibio opens the gate to a small garden of East Coast hip-hop on ‘Fire Ant’ which is an addictive instrumental piece that demonstrates an unexpected fluency in the genre. It’s a style that does not reappear again and the album changes gears as ‘Sugarette’ with its shifting, glitchting 8-bit noise gives way to the ’60s folk thrumming of ‘Abrasion’ and ‘Lover’s Carvings’ before returning to anarchic disco of ‘S’Vive’.
The least confusing more focused pieces come to close the album: ‘Cry! Baby!‘ finds arpeggiated guitars leaning leisurely on their wah-pedals before waltzing with staggered drums as they find accompaniment from twinkling xylophones and electro basslines. It’s a stimulating piece that elevates the album in preparation for finale ‘Dwrcan’, whose title and content bears more resemblance to anything on Drukqs than it does to Ambivalence Avenue.
Though deeply digital, Ambivalence Avenue is a natural sounding macrocosm of an album, simultaneously enduring and alluring. It should be acquired and enjoyed immediately.
Ambivalence Avenue is released on June 22nd (Warp Records)
Download a free album sampler here.
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