Ambivalence Avenue is Bibio's (Stephen Wilkinson) second release of 2009. In this day and age to release two album in two years is quite a feat; so two in six months is that much more impressive. Especially when it is as innovative as what Bibio has done here. The album is based heavily in the leftfield hip hop mold yet it adds other elements to its songs; that of gently strummed guitars, harmonizing vocals, and layers of added texture. Tracks such as "Halkuesque" and "S'Vive" fully embody this style of staggered hip hop based beats with a kind of dream pop experience. And when Bibio decides to chose one genre, whether it be hip hop (the excellent "Fire Ant" is, well, excellent) or the more mellow, dream pop style ("Lover's Cravings") Wilkinson does so with confidence. Among the setlist is even a song dragged straight out of the 70s soul archives in "Jealous of Roses" with its wah-wah guitar, high falsetto vocals, and a smooth bassline to capture its mood. And mood is the key element here. Bibio has created an excellent "headphones" album. With each listen (most noticeable with you headphones on), a layered soundscape is further unraveled. While not high on production values, that did not stop Wilkinson from constructing a perfect mood album that will have you wanting to listen again and again to saturate yourself in the mood that Bibio has established with Ambivalence Avenue.
4.1/5.0
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