8/10

Since the release of her stunning 2016 debut record 'Varmints', an album that went on to receive copious amounts of award nominations in the succeeding months, experimental producer and frontwoman Anna Meredith has spent the last few years building up her reputation. With that initial release arriving out of complete obscurity, she has been able to take some time to focus and balance herself in the scene, collecting a wide range of ideas that she can throw into her next endeavour. So with three years on the back burner, she finally unveils 'Fibs', a bold and vibrant new offering that somehow goes even higher than her debut.

What intrigued most about 'Varmints' was just how frantic and unique it came across on its first listen, and it is easy to say that she has made that energy grow even larger on this sophomore collection. Opening up with the bombastic instrumental 'Sawbones', we get a sharp and intense introduction into what we can expect on this new full-length. With its high-paced electronics and wild orchestration, 'Fibs' is this wild and almost untamed release that not only sees her venture towards the same aesthetic as her first, but still manages to deliver plenty of surprises as it plays.

The one thing that people loved about her first record was its unpredictability and that is exactly want she has in spades here. 'Fibs' looks to take what she built on 'Varmints' and push it as far as it will go, making for a bold and sometimes intense new album that is simply incomparable to anything else so far this year.