The Wilderness (Explosions in the Sky album)

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	7.5/10[3]
Metacritic	80/100[4]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[5]
The Austin Chronicle	[6]
Consequence of Sound	[7]
The Guardian	[8]
The Line of Best Fit	9/10[9]
Pitchfork	8.0/10[10]
Rock Sound	8/10[11]
Rolling Stone	[12]
Q	[13]
Uncut	8/10[14]

The album has received positive reviews from critics, and Metacritic has assigned it an average score of 80/100 based on 26 critics.^[4] Dave Simpson for The Guardian called it a "beautifully understated epic" and rewarded the album 4 out of 5 stars.^[8] 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+.^[7] Paul Simpson for AllMusic 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."^[5] Pitchfork gave the album 8/10 and said it is "their best since The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place."^[10]

Mojo, in their May 2016 issue, stated, "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.^[15]