''Ribbons'' is the ninth studio album by English producer

Bibio Stephen James Wilkinson (born 4 December 1978), better known as Bibio, is an English musician and producer. He is known for a distinct analog lo-fi sound, and for working in a diverse range of genres, beginning in folktronica and ambient and ...

, also known as Stephen Wilkinson, released on 12 April 2019. The album marks a return to the

folktronica Folktronica is a genre of music comprising various elements of folk music and electronica, often featuring uses of acoustic instruments – especially stringed instruments – and incorporating hip hop, electronic or dance rhythms, although i ...

roots of his earlier career, such as on 2009's '' Vignetting the Compost''. The album was well received by

critics A critic is a person who communicates an assessment and an opinion of various forms of creative works such as art, literature, music, cinema, theater, fashion, architecture, and food. Critics may also take as their subject social or governme ...

, accumulating an overall score of 81 out of 100 on

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

, indicating "universal acclaim."

Critical reception

The album was generally well-regarded by music critics upon its initial release. On the

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website

, ''Ribbons'' has a score of 81 out of 100 based on ten reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". The review in '' Q'' called it a "homecoming" for the English producer. Canadian music publication '' Exclaim!'' stated, "With Ribbons, it is clear that Bibio is trying to take the best parts of his music over the years and bring them together into one concise, but eclectic, album, and on more than a few moments, he succeeds beautifully." ''

The Line of Best Fit ''The Line of Best Fit'' is an independent online magazine based in London, concentrating on new music. It publishes independent music reviews, features, interview, and media. Founded by Richard Thane in February 2007 and currently edited by P ...

'' said that Bibio "bottles springtime" on the record, and hailed Wilkinson as "arguably one of the great genre hoppers of modern alternative music." In a mostly positive review for Pitchfork, Philip Sherburne said that the album's "results are as reassuring as the memory of your favorite counselor picking up a weather-beaten acoustic guitar by the light of the campfire." Concluding the review for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

, Heather Phares wrote that "Instead of distracting, Ribbons' tangents add to its masterful feel -- at this point in Wilkinson's career, his music is so rich that he can bring any aspect of it to the fore in ways that feel equally natural and surprising."

Track listing

All tracks written, recorded, and produced by Stephen Wilkinson.''Ribbons'' (2019).

. Warp. WARPLP290.

References

{{Authority control 2019 albums Bibio albums Warp (record label) albums