Consistency: a standard that most music critics have placed highly on their checklists, and a green light toward listeners' sticklerisms when on the topic of Stephen James Wilkinson's fifth full-length. Irked by the departure from Ambivalence Avenue's thematic romanticism and fusion of folk and electronic models, the Bibio fanbase has been given an opportunity to criticize Mind Bokeh for its many musical flavors. Being such an easy target to locate, this very fault-finding has been done all too routinely to maintain validity.
Wilkinson's latest effort is both a mixed bag and a grower, for each of its anomalous counterparts require time and reassessment to set their full effect in motion. Given eight months of frequent rotation, I've arrived at a position of nearly full comprehension of Mind Bokeh's intent, which doesn't deviate too far from that of past efforts. Amidst a wealth of these tracks, Bibio delivers flecks of his accustomed lyricism: Outdoorsy nature references, delicate sensory details, and amorous open-ended dialogue are abundant and wrapped within a penchant for nostalgia-tinged analog production.
The root of Mind Bokeh's variety can be traced in the labyrinthine musicality. Leaping from off-kilter IDM to electro-funk to ambient, you'd be hard-pressed to believe that Wilkinson didn't have diversity in mind when arranging this album. Following the ominous drum clutter of "Excuses", the mood brightens drastically with "Pretentious"'s seductive wah strum underscored by witty verbalizing, "You pretend that you pretend / You don't know that you know that you don't know that." Just about all on-lookers could concur that the masculine rock anthem "Take Off Your Shirt" arrives as a firm left-hook, and has been declared one of Bibio's greatest offenses, but its incessant cowbell and galloping verse melody charm these ears more than they do affront.
Mind Bokeh is subject to streamlining but within interdependent assemblies of tracks. Wilkinson acknowledges his partiality to vintage sounds on "Pretentious", "Light Seep", and the mall muzak-ready "K Is For Kelson", and the haze-ridden euphoria of "Wake Up!", Baths-esque "Artists' Valley", and meticulous guitar reiterations of "Saint Christopher" could all be attributed to current electronica and its inclination toward subtle compositional stratum. Rather than surveying every avenue of a singular approach to songwriting, Bibio sees fit to boldly attach his quirk to as many sorts as his irresistible melodies will allow. For that, it's best to consider Mind Bokeh on its own terms, because it's consciously withdrawn from the etiquette of what's adjudged to be properly constructed.
[Bibio Blog]
[Buy Mind Bokeh from Warp Records]
No comments:
Post a Comment