Skin premiered via a Facebook live stream on 26 May 2016, which also included video segments of Phil Taggart interviewing Flume at the album listening party in London.[7] "Never Be like You" featuring Canadian singer Kai, was released as the album's lead single on 15 January 2016.[8][9] "Smoke & Retribution" featuring American rapper Vince Staples and Australian singer Kučka, was released as the album's second single on 28 January 2016.[10][11] "Say It" featuring Swedish singer Tove Lo, was released as the album's third single on 20 April 2016.[12][13]
Skin was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 75, based on 11 reviews.[15] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 6.8 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[14]
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".[16] 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".[22] Derek Staples of Consequence 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".[18] 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".[17] Luke Fowler of Pretty Much Amazing said, "Skin is the sound of Flume reaching for great heights and almost grasping what he seeks there".[23]
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".[20] 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".[21]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".[19] 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]
[16]
