Wander/Wonder

Last updated

Wander/Wonder
Wander.Wonder.jpg
Studio album by
Balam Acab
ReleasedAugust 29, 2011 (2011-08-29)
Length36:44
Label Tri Angle
Balam Acab chronology
See Birds
(2010)		Wander/Wonder
(2011)		Child Death
(2015)

Wander/Wonder is the debut studio album by American record producer Alec Koone under the pseudonym Balam Acab. [1] It was released on August 29, 2011, through Tri Angle. [2] It peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart. [3] It received generally favorable reviews from critics. [4]

Contents

Background

Balam Acab's Alec Koone recorded Wander/Wonder in the house where he grew up. [5] The album includes Creative Commons-licensed recordings that he found online. [5] He mixed the album with Sam Haar of Blondes. [6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 76/100 [4]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Beats Per Minute 87% [8]
The Phoenix Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Pitchfork 8.2/10 [10]
Resident Advisor 4/5 [11]
Slant Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Tiny Mix Tapes Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic , Wander/Wonder received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 from 14 critic scores. [4]

Andrew Graham of The Phoenix described the album as "a fully fleshed-out record, with enticing dimension and its own subtle meanings." [9] Mark Richardson of Pitchfork commented that "its primary concern is simple aesthetic beauty, the way a small and specific combination of sounds, carefully arranged but given room to breathe, can have a deep emotional impact." [10] Heather Phares of AllMusic stated, " See Birds was just five songs long, but it covered more musical territory; by contrast, Wander/Wonder is an exercise in depth, a flowing suite of mermaid's lullabies that turn seductive." [7] She added, "Though it's a very different journey than See Birds, Wander/Wonder is another testament to Koone's abilities as a sensitive and evocative producer." [7]

Accolades

Year-end lists for Wander/Wonder
PublicationListRankRef.
Beats Per Minute The Top 50 Albums of 2011
37
Fact The 50 Best Albums of 2011
37
XLR8R Best Releases of 2011
4

Track listing

All tracks are written by Alec Koone.

Wander/Wonder track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Welcome"5:10
2."Apart"3:00
3."Motion"4:03
4."Expect"4:46
5."Now Time"4:07
6."Oh, Why"4:11
7."Await"4:46
8."Fragile Hope"6:31
Total length:36:44

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes. [17]

Charts

Chart performance for Wander/Wonder
Chart (2011)Peak
position
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums ( Billboard ) [3] 20

References

  1. ↑ Phares, Heather. "Balam Acab". AllMusic . Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  2. ↑ Breihan, Tom (June 8, 2011). "Balam Acab Announces Debut Album". Pitchfork . Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Top Dance/Electronic Albums". Billboard . September 17, 2011. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 "Wander/Wonder by Balam Acab". Metacritic . Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  5. 1 2 Cooper, Duncan (August 23, 2011). "GEN F: Balam Acab". The Fader . Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  6. ↑ Nagurney, E. (June 10, 2011). "Balam Acab announces debut LP just in time for you to pull out your old 2010 witch house gear". Tiny Mix Tapes . Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 Phares, Heather. "Wander/Wonder - Balam Acab". AllMusic . Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  8. ↑ Ryan, Will (August 31, 2011). "Album Review: Balam Acab – Wander / Wonder". Beats Per Minute . Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  9. 1 2 Graham, Andrew (September 27, 2011). "Balam Acab | Wander/Wonder". The Phoenix . Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  10. 1 2 Richardson, Mark (August 29, 2011). "Balam Acab: Wander / Wonder". Pitchfork . Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  11. ↑ Ryce, Andrew (August 30, 2011). "Balam Acab - Wander / Wonder". Resident Advisor . Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  12. ↑ Liedel, Kevin (August 15, 2011). "Review: Balam Acab, Wander/Wonder". Slant Magazine . Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  13. ↑ Savage, Rowan. "Balam Acab - Wander/Wonder". Tiny Mix Tapes . Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  14. ↑ "The Top 50 Albums of 2011 (page 2)". Beats Per Minute . December 15, 2011. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  15. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2011 (page 2)". Fact . November 30, 2011. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  16. ↑ "XLR8R's Best of 2011: Releases, Part Two". XLR8R . December 22, 2011. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  17. ↑ Balam Acab (2011). Wander/Wonder (CD booklet). Tri Angle.
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