Even if Ambivalence Avenue didn't follow so quickly after an already solid Bibio album, it would still be a big step forward for Wilkinson's music.
That such disparate elements hang together so well is a testament to Bibio’s talents and exemplify the unifying, all consuming nature of sound. Throughout it all, Ambivalence Avenue feels like a hazy flash back to an unspecified albeit magical summer of your youth.
While Ambivalence Avenue is an excellent album by any measure, Bibio deserves extra credit for venturing outside of his established comfort zone.
Yes, Ambivalence Avenue is an album that defies expectations, and it is also Bibio’s most creative and penetrating release yet.
Ambivalence Avenue is fresh and funky, combining soulful and nostalgic vocals and guitar with modern dance beats to create something entirely new.
What’s crucial for Wilkinson isn’t the sensibility of cohesion but the continued consistency of quality—whatever they sound like and from wherever they come, these songs just need to sound good. And they do.
It’d take some mad science to mix all of Bibio’s elements, old and new, into a sound as definitive as the one he established over his first five years as an artist, but Ambivalence Avenue is a great fresh start.
What is most impressive is when you compare Ambivalence Avenue to Bibio’s earliest works and you realize that the homage to Aphex Twin and Boards of Canada is gone, replaced by an emerging, unique sound. That definitely counts for something. I’m excited to see what Bibio comes up with next.
Stephen Wilkinson's debut release for Warp is his fourth album as Bibio: Ambivalence Avenue sounds more like the work of a newcomer than a seasoned musician.
Ambivalence Avenue presents a livlier Bibio, tastefully absorbing hip hop and disco beats.
it's aight, jealous of roses is best on here everything else is aight
fav tracks: jealous of roses, s'vive
damnnn i did not like this,the cover is great,but the album itself is really unimaginative music that i feel i will not remember in the next week
Vacations in Spain have never been this sick since the release of Ambivalence Avenue.
FAVORITE TRACKS: AMBIVALENCE AVENUE, FIRE ANT, HAIKUESQUE (WHEN SHE LAUGHS), LOVER'S CRAVING, ABRASION, THE PALM OF YOUR WAVE, DWRCAN.
it's aight, jealous of roses is best on here everything else is aight
fav tracks: jealous of roses, s'vive
damnnn i did not like this,the cover is great,but the album itself is really unimaginative music that i feel i will not remember in the next week
Vacations in Spain have never been this sick since the release of Ambivalence Avenue.
FAVORITE TRACKS: AMBIVALENCE AVENUE, FIRE ANT, HAIKUESQUE (WHEN SHE LAUGHS), LOVER'S CRAVING, ABRASION, THE PALM OF YOUR WAVE, DWRCAN.
1 | ambivalence avenue 3:42 | 75 |
2 | jealous of roses 2:35 | 56 |
3 | all the flowers 1:05 | 68 |
4 | fire ant 4:58 | 61 |
5 | haikuesque (when she laughs) 3:32 | 77 |
6 | sugarette 3:54 | 48 |
7 | lovers' carvings 3:58 | 83 |
8 | abrasion 2:46 | 75 |
9 | s'vive 4:05 | 48 |
10 | the palm of your wave 2:25 | 50 |
11 | cry! baby! 3:57 | 55 |
12 | dwrcan 5:55 | 68 |
#33 | / | Pitchfork |
#38 | / | Clash |
#42 | / | Treble |
#48 | / | No Ripcord |