The Wilderness (Explosions in the Sky album)

The Wilderness is the seventh studio album by American post-rock band Explosions in the Sky, released on April 1, 2016.[1][2]

The Wilderness
Studio album by Explosions in the Sky
Released	April 1, 2016
Genre	Post-rock, electronic rock
Length	46:20
Label	Temporary Residence Limited TRR270
Producer	Explosions in the Sky John Congleton
Explosions in the Sky chronology
Take Care, Take Care, Take Care (2011) The Wilderness (2016)
Singles from The Wilderness
"Disintegration Anxiety" Released: January 10, 2016 "Logic of a Dream" Released: February 29, 2016

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	80/100[3]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
Consequence of Sound	[5]
The Guardian	[6]
The Line of Best Fit	[7]
Pitchfork	8/10[8]
Q Magazine	[9]

The album has received positive reviews from critics, and Metacritic has assigned it an average score of 80/100 based on 26 critics.[3] Dave Simpson for The Guardian called it a "beautifully understated epic" and rewarded the album 4 out of 5 stars.[6] Johnathan K. Dick, writing for Consequence of Sound stated that, "The Wilderness proves that Explosions in the Sky aren't stuck in any creative rut." and gave the album a B+.[5] Paul Simpson for AllMusic gave the album 4 stars and said, "On The Wilderness, Explosions in the Sky deconstruct and rebuild their sound from the ground up, giving it a revitalized sense of urgency and resulting in some of their most dynamic work yet." [4] Pitchfork rewarded the album 8/10 and said it is "their best since The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place." [8]

However, some critics gave the album mixed reviews. Mojo, in their May 2016 issue, stated that "Although recognisably, and powerfully, the work of Explosions In The Sky this is now a band whose music undulates."

The cover and insert artwork are parts of a painting entitled "8th and Main" by Jacob van Loon.[10]

Accolades

Publication	Accolade	Year	Rank
Consequence of Sound	Top 50 Albums of 2016	2016	32[11]
Rough Trade	Albums of the Year	2016	57[12]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Wilderness"	4:36
2.	"The Ecstatics"	3:12
3.	"Tangle Formations"	5:34
4.	"Logic of a Dream"	6:37
5.	"Disintegration Anxiety"	4:11
6.	"Losing the Light"	6:02
7.	"Infinite Orbit"	2:37
8.	"Colors in Space"	7:14
9.	"Landing Cliffs"	6:17
Total length:		46:20

Charts

Chart (2016)	Peak position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[13]	33
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[14]	61
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[15]	98
Irish Albums (IRMA)[16]	77
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[17]	93
UK Albums (OCC)[18]	39
US Billboard 200[19]	24

References

1. "'The Wilderness' - PREORDER | Explosions In The Sky official storefront powered by Merchline". Explosionsinthesky.merchline.com. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
2. "The Wilderness by Explosions In the Sky on iTunes". Itunes.apple.com. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
3. "Reviews for The Wilderness by Explosions in the Sky". Metacritic. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
4. Paul Simpson (April 1, 2016). "The Wilderness - Explosions in the Sky | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
5. Young, Alex (March 30, 2016). "Explosions in the Sky – The Wilderness | Album Reviews". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
6. Dave Simpson. "Explosions in the Sky: The Wilderness CD review – beautifully understated epic | Music". The Guardian. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
7. "The Wilderness by Explosions in the Sky | Album Review". The Line Of Best Fit. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
8. Brandon Stosuy (March 28, 2016). "Explosions in the Sky: The Wilderness Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
9. "Q Magazine | Music news & reviews, music videos, band pictures & interviewsQ Magazine". Qthemusic.com. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
10. http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/explosions-in-the-sky-wilderness-art-premiere
11. "Top 50 Albums of 2016". Consequence of Sound. November 28, 2016. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
12. "Albums of the Year". Rough Trade. November 14, 2016. Archived from the original on November 16, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
13. "Ultratop.be – Explosions in the Sky – The Wilderness" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
14. "Ultratop.be – Explosions in the Sky – The Wilderness" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
15. "Offiziellecharts.de – Explosions in the Sky – The Wilderness" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
16. "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 14, 2016". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
17. "Swisscharts.com – Explosions in the Sky – The Wilderness". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
18. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
19. "Explosions in the Sky Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2016.