Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue

I'm always keeping tabs on Bibio and his unusual amalgam of Boards of Canada infused Folktronica. He's got great ideas and amazing soundscapes imbedded in his music, yet, for some reason, he's really fallen victim of being a one trick pony over the years, or at least until now. With Ambivalence Avenue, we've got a whole new Bibio. We still hear Stephen Wilkinson's trademark guitar lines and ambience (field recordings/found sounds) buried within, but now we see a much more diverse artist begin to emerge. Infusing elements of glitch-hop, psychedelic folk, and even funk into the mix, we start to see the limitations once hindering this creative soul dissolve. From the opener "Ambivalence Avenue", we're given an upbeat, folk-driven (yet very melodic) psychedelic track that just hints at what's to come. As we get to "Jealous of Roses" we're introduced to the funkier side of Bibio. Border-lining on something you'd hear on a Ween album, this track is definitely one of the more unusual pieces on the record, but honestly it works with its low-fi production and syncopated beat. "All The Flowers" is the next tune and it’s a complete change from the past two. Both short and sweet, this little ditty could almost be confused for a Simon and Garfunkle song. As we approach "Fire Ant", we get a glimpse into Bibio's latest influence, glitch-hop. Perhaps because this is Bibio's Warp Records debut, or perhaps he because he’s just has taken a liking to some of the other artists on the Warp label like Prefuse 73 and Jackson and His Computer Band, we’re hearing a much more upbeat and glitchy record than Bibio’s predecessors. The next track, "Haikuesque (When She Laughs)" is by far my favorite on the record. Both soft and melodic, this track flows beautifully and will leave you craving more by the time its over. As the tracks progress we keep getting new surprises. "Sugarette" has to be one of the more experiemental tracks here with its breakbeat feel and syncopated drum sounds (think Aphex Twin Windowlicker). "Lovers Carvings" is probably my least favorite on the record. It’s a short and sweet folky, guitar ditty that turns into poppy tune about 1:29 into the track. Its decent enough but did little to move me emotionally like many of the other tracks did. On "Abrasion", we hear the Simon and Garfunkle folk sound so prevalent in earlier songs. It's melodic but again nothing fancy. "S'Vive" is another brilliant glitch-laden track with funky bass sounds and vocal samples (I can almost dance to it). By the time we reach the last few tracks we approach "Cry ! Baby !". A mellow, alt rock slow jam that soon becomes quite psychedelic with deep synths driving at the chorus. The last track on the record "Dwrcan", sounds the most reminiscent of Boards of Canada on the album. The track is downtempo, dark and carries a cinematic feel to it. All and all this is a really intruiging piece of work by Bibio. If Ambivalence Avenue is the address to Bibio's newfound creativity let’s hope he doesn’t move for a long, long time.

Standout Tracks: "Haikuesque (When She Laughs)", "Fire Ant", "Sugarette", "S'Vive", "Cry ! Baby !", "Dwrcan"
Grade: 8.2