When I sat down and listened to Bibio’s upcoming release Ribbons for the first time, I found myself at an unusual intersection between the hyper-awareness that comes from listening as a reviewer and simply enjoying the music I was listening to.

Bibio, whose real name is Stephen Wilkinson, possesses some of the magical, airy elements ever-present in his work. The U.K. native’s largely experimental and widely varied discography has been a staple in the indie community for many years, garnering him over 1.75 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

Wilkinson is completely self-taught and self-trained, and he’s added new instruments to his collection of sounds throughout his career. Ribbons is experimental, but in the least pretentious way possible — it allows listeners to view his development when he adds the mandolin and fiddle to his regular mix of instruments.

[Read more: It’s Women’s History Month. Here are 7 women in music who have graced the 21st century]

Ribbons opens with “Beret Girl,” a two-minute instrumental that eases you into the album as a whole. It has the tinny, intricate guitar strumming that has become so distinct in his work — almost sounding like his biggest hit “Lovers’ Carvings.”

The songs build on each other, with the next song “The Art Of Living” picking up in energy and pace, adding lyrics with his gentle crooning and musings about love and life. The song is a reflection of a relationship in which his lover, while soothing him and helping him through his troubles, “pushes” him to the ground, teaching him to fall.

The perspectives that Bibio provides on his romantic experiences tie in with the sound and cohesion of the album. It isn’t solely about being in love or feeling heartbreak — it’s a natural progression of how two people interact with each other.

In one of the album’s more somber, almost haunting tracks, “It’s Your Bones,” he warns his subject that if they “find a place to hide,” they must seal a door. The lyrics are equal parts intriguing and filled with whimsy — an accurate descriptor for the work as a whole.

[Read more: SEE’s annual Battle of the Bands highlighted student talent]

“Curls,” the album’s single, is a perfect amalgamation of all the qualities that make this album so pleasant. It’s flighty, it’s gentle and it incorporates clear nods to folk music of the sixties with string instruments and soft vocals. It also includes the same choral harmonies and tape-saturated finger-picking that are present in so much of Bibio’s other works.

Listening to this album and one of the first warm days of spring were a perfect combination. As far as Bibio’s work goes, Ribbons isn’t quite a revelation: it feels more like one of the many stepping stones in his development as an artist — one who has a penchant to tweak his sound and add new flavors to his repertoire.

Ribbons is pleasant not just as an album but as an experience from start to finish. I would highly recommend making it a priority on your list of music for dozing in the sunlight and doing absolutely nothing.