Rising out of silence, the first notes of experimental musician and producer Bibio’s “The Green EP” drift carefully into reality, dreamily sailing between plucks of an acoustic guitar. These first moments serve as an introduction into the lush, surreal world Bibio has brought to life with his newest release. Each moment is rife with carefully crafted ambience. It’s a supremely evocative venture with a sense of emotion that urges listeners to lose themselves in each entrancing track.
The most admirable aspect of “The Green EP” lies in the dynamic between each of its tracks. While distinctive from one another, each song feels like the logical evolution of the previous one. Guitars fade into synthesizers and vocals find their way into the track right as they are needed. What results is an album that blurs styles, straddling the line between conventional acoustic and electronic. This constant growth assures an interesting, but not distracting, musical experience, allowing listeners to savor each nuanced moment.
“Dinghy” is possibly the most simplistic tune on the album, though that does nothing to lessen its charm. Its sole instrument — a sunny, rhythmic guitar — shines all by its lonesome, reeling off a single, joyous tune. For the entirety of the song’s fleeting sub-three minute play time, the track is a gleeful run through the sun.
This is in stark contrast to “Carbon Wulf,” a longing growl of a track that lurks in between the realms of melancholy and sinister. With its rumbling synths, reminiscent of church organs, the track is a welcome touch of darkness to the album and seems completely at home among other songs, even with its grimmer tone.
Despite its small number of tracks, “The Green EP” is a vibrant, poignant work of music. Each and every song is thriving with creative mastery, each moment effortlessly guiding listeners through the album’s ethereal world. Bibio has surely created a worthy release, gifting to its listeners one of the most immersive and cohesive listening experiences the music world has to offer.
