Writing for
the Quietus, Jonathan Wright remarked, "As the circular guitar patterns of the instrumental title track give way to the synths of 'Music Concrete' and then the slight and brief but atmospheric 'The Notes You Never Hear', there's a hint the LP may be meandering too much." In a four-star review for
AllMusic, Fred Thomas noted it as "a collection of eight freshly minted, mostly newly written tracks," stating "the essence that Bell distills on
Pinball Wanderer is one of happy exploration, indeed wandering from one creative idea to the next with very little second-guessing or restraint."
Spill described it as "loads of fun with plenty of wonderfully charming experimentation and interplanetary vibes," giving it four stars. Writing for
MusicOMH, John Murphy assigned the album a rating of 3.5 stars and referred to it as "an album of moods and grooves rather than hooks, much of
Pinball Wanderer shows just what Bell can produce when he's given a rare spotlight." Rating the album seven,
Clash Richard Bowes stated, "As a musician, Andy Bell has always channelled other-worldly atmospherics, but on
Pinball Wanderer he's operating in a separate, groovy, dimension." ==Track listing==