Obsidian
Studio album by
Baths
ReleasedMay 28, 2013
Genre
Length43:16
LabelAnticon
ProducerBaths
Baths chronology
Pop Music/False B-Sides
(2011)		 Obsidian
(2013)		 Romaplasm
(2017)
Singles from Obsidian
  1. "Miasma Sky"
    Released: March 6, 2013

Obsidian is the second studio album by American electronic musician Baths, released on May 28, 2013 by Anticon.[1] The album was preceded by the single "Miasma Sky" released on March 6, 2013.[2]

Obsidian received generally positive acclaim from critics and gained a title of "best new music" by Pitchfork.[1] It also peaked at number fifteen and sixteen on Billboard's Top Dance/Electronic Albums and Heatseekers Albums respectively.[3][4]

Background

Will Wiesenfield started work on some tracks of Obsidian before his debut album Cerulean. During touring and promotion of his first album, he became seriously ill with a serious case of E. coli. Wiesenfield said he "got really sad and sort of felt this momentum to try and make this darker record". He commented that behind the music, "there’s a very distorted, raw state of mind" and explained that "it's this dichotomy. It's pop music, but it’s tragic and dark.”[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.4/10[6]
Metacritic76/100[7]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Clash8/10[9]
Consequence of Sound[10]
DIY7/10[11]
Exclaim!9/10[12]
Fact[13]
PopMatters[14]
Pitchfork8.6/10[1]
Slant Magazine[15]
Sputnikmusic4.0/5[16]

Obsidian received positive reviews from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 76, based on 22 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[17] Ian Cohen of Pitchfork praised the album saying "the gregarious and genial Wiesenfeld has created a more subversive work by getting uncomfortably close to pop."[18] Vincent Pollard rated the album 9 out of 10, while writing in his review that "Obsidian is a gorgeous suite of electronic pop songs that will draw you in and stay with you for days on end."[12] Slant Magazine described the music on the album as IDM.[15] PopMatters's Robin Smith stated that Obsidian is a "self-sufficient synth-pop record in the vein of the Postal Service’s Give Up, ploughing through its songs and laying his beats as paths for stories."[14]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Will Wiesenfeld

No.TitleLength
1."Worsening"4:26
2."Miasma Sky"4:34
3."Ironworks"4:40
4."Ossuary"3:52
5."Incompatible"4:40
6."No Eyes"4:14
7."Phaedra"4:52
8."No Past Lives"3:40
9."Earth Death"4:34
10."Inter"3:50
Total length:43:16

Charts

Chart Peak
position
Top Dance/Electronic Albums[3] 15
Heatseekers Albums[4] 16

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Obsidian.[19]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Cohen, Ian (May 28, 2013). "Baths: Obsidian". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  2. ↑ Minsker, Evan (March 6, 2013). "Baths Announces New Album Obsidian, Shares Track "Miasma Sky", Tours With the Postal Service". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Baths - Chart history - Top Dance/Electronic Albums". Billboard. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Baths - Chart history - Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
  5. ↑ Reese, Nathan (May 29, 2013). "Baths, After the Eruption - Interview Magazine". Interview. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  6. ↑ "Obsidian by Baths reviews". AnyDecentMusic?.
  7. ↑ "Obsidian Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  8. ↑ Phares, Heather. "Obsidian - Baths". Allmusic.com. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  9. ↑ French, Matthew (May 22, 2013). "Baths - Obsidian". Clash. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  10. ↑ Geffen, Sasha (May 29, 2013). "Album Review: Baths – Obsidian". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  11. ↑ Young, Martyn (June 30, 2013). "Baths - Obsidian". DIY. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  12. 1 2 Pollard, Vincent (May 24, 2013). "Baths - Obsidian". Exclaim.ca. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  13. ↑ Kelly, Chris (May 31, 2013). "Obsidian Review". Factmag.com. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  14. 1 2 Smith, Robin (May 29, 2013). "Baths: Obsidian - PopMatters". PopMatters. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  15. 1 2 Liedel, Kevin (May 27, 2013). "Baths: Obsidian". Slantmagazine.com. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  16. ↑ indigonowhere (April 29, 2013). "Baths - Obsidian (album review 2)". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  17. ↑ "Obsidian – Baths". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  18. ↑ Cohen, Ian (May 28, 2013). "Baths: Obsidian". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  19. ↑ Obsidian (liner notes). Baths. Anticon. 2013. ABR0138.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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