Fans of electronic music can be fickle bitches.  As we go deeper down the rabbit hole from genre to sub-genre to sub-sub-genre, the slightest inconsistency can turn a crowd of ebullient candy ravers into sneering nihilists.  This phenomenon is partly to blame for the intense backlash felt by musicians who transition from cutting edge trailblazers to washed up sell outs seemingly overnight.  A discouraging side effect is when established artists desperately try to play catch up with the current flavors of the month.  Even the Rolling Stones couldn't resist making a disco song, even though they ran screaming back to their comfort zone of wiggling awkwardly to the same guitar lick for the next 34 years.  As Orbital demonstrate on their first studio album since disbanding in 2004, sometimes it's better to dip your toes in the pool than to dive in head first.

I make no secret that I'm a big Orbital fan.  When my friends were trading Phish bootlegs back in high school, I was dissecting every note of Orbital's Insides.  You'd be hard pressed to find an act with a more impressive string of output during the 90's.  From the acid house anthems of The Green Album, to the breakbeat excursions of Snivilisation, to the melodically adventurous Middle of Nowhere, Orbital never let their success plateau their creative vigor.  I was disappointed with 2001's The Altogether, despite it's hidden treasures, such as the evil surf of "Tension" and the expansive drum 'n bass of album closer "Meltdown".  It was a bit like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, where all of the elements were there, but you couldn't quite put your finger on why you weren't over the moon about it.

If The Altogether was their Temple of Doom, then 2004's Blue Album was their Last Crusade.  After announcing their breakup, the album was meant to be their swan song, ending their story with a charming bit of nostalgia meant to leave fans with fond memories of the duo at their best.  After this, there was no need to continue on.  Their catalog stands up to any other electronic artist out there, and there was nothing left to prove to anyone but themselves.  This is why, when Orbital announced their reunion for some festival gigs in 2009, I was apprehensive. Was this a shameless Rage Against The Machine-esque cash grab?  No one wants to endure their favorite musicians sullying themselves through an uninspired tour of the same old songs, do they?

Fortunately for us, this is not the case (this is the part where I actually talk about the album).  The barely discernible layers of vocal samples on Wonky's opening track "One Big Moment" immediately call to mind the opening track from Snivilisation, "Forever".  Light, angelic synths dance around the samples for a few moments before a rough drum fill slaps you in the face, announcing loud and clear that this is going to be an upbeat affair.  It's a grand reintroduction to the group, and one of the strongest melodic tracks on the album.  Following that are the one-two punch of "Straight Sun" and "Never", two songs that Orbital previously released online.  "Straight Sun" works as a more straightforward dance track, and feels a bit like a continuation of the reintroduction from "One Big Moment".  "Never", which was my favorite track of 2011, ranks up there with Orbital's best work, layering vocal stabs over one of their trademark melody lines that take forever to resolve.

"New France" features one of the few collaborations on the album, with vocal contributions from Zola Jesus.  Their styles mesh rather well, with ZJ's voice acting as more of a layering synth as opposed to a traditional vocal, in the spirit of Alison Goldfrapp's contributions to Orbital's work in the mid to late 90's.  "New France" was also released as a single with a hilarious music video, making it a poignant statement on the tragedy of losing your youthful innocence. "Distractions" follows, and is in the running for my favorite track on the album.  This is one of Wonky's excursions into a more current sound, with a heavy downtempo beat layered with cut up female vocal samples courtesy of Emily Portman.  The track transitions smoothly into "Stringy Acid", a song straight from the early acid house raves that Orbital were born from.  If it were up to me, every album would have a healthy dose of acid bass, so I don't know what Orbital were thinking sitting on this track for so long.

The next track will likely the be the most polarizing on the album.  When I heard that Orbital were attempting a dubstep track, my face contorted in that disapproving fashion that my body can no longer control.  "Beezledub" is a dubstep reworking of the Orbital classic "Satan".  The song is a result of the live excursions that the duo explored while performing "Satan" live over the years, which deviated in such great fashion from the original that it morphed into an entirely different track.  I appreciate dubstep in small doses, so I'm relieved that the wobbling bassline doesn't outstay it's welcome.  The song manages to double time it's beat into an frenetic drum 'n bass crescendo, demonstrating to dubstep DJ's everywhere that it's okay if your songs actually go somewhere.  Title track "Wonky" may also turn off diehard fans for it's collaboration with rapper Lady Leshurr.  It may not be the album standout, but it's a fun dance track  that confirms my suspicion that cats are soulless, evil creatures.

Closing out the album is the wonderfully grand "Where is it Going?"  Fans of The Brown Album will dig this track, as it's big four on the floor beat and dazzling arpeggiators would feel right at home with the "Lush" series.  The Hartnoll brothers revealed in their amusing studio updates that they were sticking to analog gear for this album, and it shows.  There's a vibrant crispness to it that you just can't achieve with a laptop, making the album feel more unique and alive.  Sometimes, in order to be innovative, you have to do things the old fashioned way.  My hope is, due to the nature of the closing track title, that Orbital are just getting started... again.