Mambo On That Jukebox Explosion!!! (2020)

"I had an occasional flash of understanding, but then got selfishly wrapped up again in my own problems and pleasures," is a quote from Anne Frank's diary, the book on which The Beauty That Still Remains is based. These are thoughts we must all take heed of, confronting injustice that does not strike directly at ourselves. This recording represents a deep musical engagement with such universal values as empathy and faith in the good that is in every person. Asylos deals with the contradictions of inclusion and exclusion, and points up the connection between the pilgrims of the past and the asylum seekers of our time. The Norwegian Girls Choir addresses the theme of the inviolability of human dignity. The music by Marcus Paus and Maja S.K. Ratkje frames, in contrasting ways, the power that humanity and hope carry with them even amid the most intense horror, and through testimonies of the past these works tell us how relevant these topics still are.

The folky side of Bibio's music is always lovely, whether Stephen Wilkinson submerges it in blunted beats and decaying tape ambiance on Vignetting the Compost or lets the sun shine on it, as he did on Ribbons. Sleep on the Wing is a companion to that gorgeous 2019 album, and though it has a smaller scope, it's just as winning. A few songs pick up where Ribbons left off: With their airy melodies and twining violins and acoustic guitars, "Sleep on the Wing" and "Oakmoss" are pastoral dreams as captivating as anything that appeared on the album. More often, though, Wilkinson revels in taking Ribbons' elements - lilting melodies, wide-ranging acoustic instrumentation, and electronic washes - in different directions…