Skin (Flume album)

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	6.8/10[8]
Metacritic	75/100[9]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[10]
Consequence of Sound	B[5]
Evening Standard	[11]
The Independent	[12]
The Irish Times	[13]
The Observer	[2]
Pitchfork	6.4/10[6]
Rolling Stone	[14]
Slant Magazine	[3]
The Sydney Morning Herald	[15]

Skin received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 75, based on 11 reviews.[9] Heather Phares of AllMusic said, "While it could have benefitted from some editing, Skin still shows a lot of growth--it's more mature, and more memorable, than Flume."[10] Kahron Spearman of The Austin Chronicle said, "Skin goes Technicolor and bigger, effectively standing on the shoulders of Disclosure and giant stars including Skrillex, Diplo, and album collaborator/reinventor Beck."[16] Derek Staples of Consequence of Sound said, "Gearing up to be the next EDM crossover talent, Flume's sophomore effort, Skin, showcases a producer at ease with all of the sounds moving tickets at America's major festival events: hip-hop, indie pop, and EDM."[5] The Independent's Justin Carissimo gave the album a very positive review, stating that the album was "the audio equivalent of ecstasy."[12] David Smith of the Evening Standard gave a similarly positive review, stating that "this is music that can do much more than get feet moving."[11] Luke Fowler of Pretty Much Amazing said, "Skin is the sound of Flume reaching for great heights and almost grasping what he seeks there."[17]

Stacey Anderson of Pitchfork said, "["Wall Fuck" is] short and snappy, gone too fast in an album that could've been streamlined to let moments like it shine. But maybe it's the sound of floodgates opening."[6] Keith Harris of Rolling Stone said, "Restless versatility is all over the LP, generating the emotional crests and sensory overload a festival crowd demands, but with a nuance that'll make it work even if you aren't shirtless in the desert."[14] Jonathan Wroble of Slant Magazine said, "If the burden on electronic producers is to establish personality beyond a dense network of light displays and computer processing, this album gets Flume halfway there: It shows him as unquestionably human (overeager, alternately flashy and timid, sometimes more in awe than in control), but still a bit faceless."[3] The Sydney Morning Herald's Craig Mathieson gave the album a positive review, stating that "the record is intoxicating and eclectic."[15] Jim Carroll of The Irish Times felt that several tracks seemed to emphasize "showing off textures rather than providing the breathing room for an actual song to emerge".[13] Ben Thompson of The Observer said, "Distinguished guests—UK nearly siren AlunaGeorge, rapper Vince Staples--are ushered respectfully through a series of viable electronic hinterlands, where a couple of them, notably perennial cameo supplier Little Dragon and Wu Tang vet Raekwon, manage to put down roots in actual songs."[2]

Notes

• "Say It" features additional vocals by Daniel Johns
• "Pika" features vocals by WILLS

• List of number-one albums of 2016 (Australia)