What did Bibio want to be when he grew up?
An accomplished musician at heart, the UK-based producer has spent much of his career shifting between delicate folk arrangements and robot synth operas.
His latest album Silver Wilkinson, does nothing to suggest that he’s chosen a definitive direction just yet.
Building bridges between his organic and electronic influences, the album is an occasionally unnatural fusion of his previous two releases, incorporating both the heavy production of Mind Bokeh with the stripped-back instrumentalism of Ambivalence Avenue.
When it works, Bibio is a master at blending muffled guitar and reverberating vocals into gorgeously layered, and un-ashamedly synthetic electronica. But execution isn’t the issue here; Silver Wilkinson’s problems are more to do with the way it all fits together.
Beginning with a gentle lull, the early tracks shimmer with an aquatic quality. The transition from “Wulf” to “Mirroring All” sees oceanic sounds sweep the music across the speakers.
Toward the middle, “À Tout À L’heure” serves as an anchor – shifting upbeat and offering the first glimpses of percussion.
Miss the wake-up call however, and you’ll be left wondering how the paddocks of space in “Sycamore Silhouetting” were invaded by the knife-edge vocal samples of “You”.
With its momentum lost, Silver Wilkinson stumbles toward a dissonant and glitch-inspired conclusion, with tracks that, without being poor, sound like they have come from an entirely different headspace. The closer “You Won’t Remember” is the exception, an indie-rock lullaby that puts this odd sequence of tracks to rest.
Silver Wilkinson isn’t a backward step by any means. It’s a dynamic work, full of a variety of styles that happen to cross paths. But for those with only a casual interest in one aspect of Bibio’s craftsmanship, it won’t demand a repeat listen as much as it should.
