Bibio

For better or worse, Stephen Wilkinson's Bibio alias has never been much for surprises. Now three albums in, the UK producer has essentially stuck to the same basic formula of folky guitar lines, looped electronics and found-sound nature recordings. And while this can lull you into quite the campfire head phase, it's a blueprint that's become a bit predictable on Bibio's latest full-length, Vignetting the Compost. Like albums one and two, three still loads on the hazy, sepia-toned atmospheres and, like Bibio champions Boards of Canada, gives a serious nod to pastoral Brit folk of old. But still, Wilkinson hardly brings much new to the Bibio table, more often than not relying on the same loop-dependent production and that old-timey AM radio effect that's become both his and Boards' calling card. Now, this isn't to say Vignetting the Compost doesn't offer some beautiful bits of music, because it does. It's just a downer the album offers more of the same.