Wonky (album)

Recording

Following their reformation and successful comeback shows, Orbital decided that they needed to write new material to include in their live shows. The album was recorded mostly using vintage and analogue synthesisers between January and November 2011 in Brighton where the Hartnoll brothers both live, and the producer Flood was brought in to help with the mixing.

The album's title is, according to Paul Hartnoll, a reference to the fact that "we've never really fitted in".

Promotion

The track "Never" was released as a free download from the official Orbital site in January 2012. An edited version of "New France" was released as the first single on 27 February 2012 as a single track download, with a remix EP released on 19 March 2012 featuring remixes from L-Vis 1990, Tom Middleton and The Hydraulic Dogs. The title track was released as the second single on 21 April 2012. "Where Is It Going?" was released as the third single on 27 August.

Release

Wonky was released as a CD album, a double CD album, a vinyl LP and as a digital download. The double CD album includes a second disc featuring five tracks recorded live in Australia in 2011. The iTunes Deluxe version also features two music videos for "Never" and "Straight Sun".

Track listing

Tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 9 written by Paul Hartnoll. Track 7 written by Paul and Phil Hartnoll. Track 4 written by Paul Hartnoll and Nika Roza Danilova. Track 8 written by Paul Hartnoll, Phil Hartnoll and Melesha O'Garro

1. "One Big Moment" – 6:16
2. "Straight Sun" – 5:28
3. "Never" – 4:43
4. "New France" (featuring Zola Jesus) – 4:47
5. "Distractions" – 7:04
6. "Stringy Acid" – 5:19
7. "Beelzedub" – 4:54
8. "Wonky" (featuring Lady Leshurr) – 6:13
9. "Where Is It Going?" – 5:50

Deluxe Edition bonus disc

Tracks written by Paul and Phill Hartnoll except Belfast written by Paul Hartnoll, Phil Hartnoll and Hildegard.

1. "Lush" (Live in Australia) – 10:22
2. "Impact" (Live in Australia) – 19:17
3. "Satan" (Live in Australia) – 8:37
4. "Belfast" (Live in Australia) – 7:38
5. "Chime"/"Crime" (Live in Australia) – 13:02

Reception

The album received generally favourable reviews. The aggregrated score from 20 reviews on Metacritic gave it an average of 74/100.

Many critics felt that Wonky was Orbital's best album in some time. Drowned in Sound wrote "Well here's something I never thought I'd ever write again: the new Orbital album is great", and went on to say that Wonky was "the best record Orbital have made in the past 15 years and up there with their very best". Mojo said "the best Orbital album since 1994's Snivilisation? Certainly". Steve Price (writing on the Orbital website Loopz) reviewed the album on 4 February 2012 and said "...after many weeks of listening, I feel this is probably one of the best Orbital albums since In Sides". MusicOMH stated "as it turns out, this is not a duo in the last throes of their musical lives – rather it marks the beginning of a new and potentially very exciting chapter for the Hartnoll brothers".

The NME said "Wonky has reconnected them with the lush spirit of their first and second albums". Allmusic said "it feels a touch forced, but what remains clear is that the Hartnolls still have the ability to make magic more than 20 years after their debut". BBC Music said "nobody would expect an eighth album by a band 20-plus years into its career to sound this fantastic, but time away has obviously helped re-energise the brothers into crafting this triumphantly grand return". Pitchfork said "it's not perfect, but it is an unexpectedly great comeback album". Mary Chang of This is Fake DIY suggested Wonky was "further proof that Orbital aren’t content to stand still and rest on the laurels that have made them ones to watch at festivals."

Martyn Cooling of Faux Magazine said "despite the terrible name and the altogether confusingly placeless lead single (of the same name), the album is a complex yet completely solid piece of work that will remind listeners of the early 90's techno-film-score Orbital and their self titled first albums, rather than the latter day The Altogether & Blue Album era".