| Bibio has been quite highly regarded in the experimental electronica scene sionce the release of his debut album fi in 2005. fi was a trip into '70s suburban territory with the daydreaming air of longtime admirers Boards of Canada. Indeed, the Boards liked Bibio, aka Stephen Wilkinson, so much Marcus Eoin is quoted as stating that Wilkinson's music is "the antidote to the modern laptopia of pristine electronic music" and recommending his work to Mush, the US label that has Boom Bip, Her Space Holiday, and cLOUDDEAD on their roster. A high accolade indeed. So, with this in his top pocket Wilkinson headed out again with his dilapidated sampler and dictaphones to create this slightly whimsical but thouroughly beautiful composition of "down in the valley" 18th century nostalgia. No wonder the Boards of Canada like this so much, as this album has all the hallmarks they are known for, namely a lo-fi, worn-in aesthetic. The opening tracks "The Cranking House" and "Cherry Go Round" stay true to the album title. In both of these one hears guitar perpetually "twanging" in the background while ambient noises harmonise over and underneath. After this there is a deviation into slightly more folky areas, though still retaining a similar air of caprice and whimsy. "Marram" swings nicely as a "summer in the country, watching the sun set from a tree" track complete with birdsong, whereas in "Abberiw" the vocal appears to have been filtered through decades. finally finding an output through a suburban museum's gramophone player. The standout track, however, is "Above the Rooftops." A hautingly simple melody that resonates a nostalgia for simplicity that the city refuses to acknowledge. Simply beautiful. - One Week to Live |
1XLP/Out Of Print