At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 86, based on 36 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Pitchforks Lindsay Zoladz gave the album a Best New Music designation, writing "While there's no question that Grizzly Bear's last two records have sounded gorgeous, critics of the band have wondered if that's enough. Shields, the band's fourth and most compositionally adventurous record, should put those concerns to bed. Though full of baroque, detail-rich production and latticework melodies, Shields also offers an emotionally resonant core." In another positive review, AllMusic's Heather Phares wrote: "While it's not as obviously big a statement as Veckatimest was, Shields is plenty ambitious in its own right, and its complexity demands and rewards patient listening." The A.V. Clubs Chris DeVille praised the contributions of Chris Taylor and Christopher Bear, stating, "On an album that touches repeatedly on the barriers people build between each other, the members of Grizzly Bear have forged further ahead into sweet synchronicity. Sam Cleeve of Drowned in Sound called Shields "[..] [A] warm-blooded record, beholden to analogue gear and flawless mastering — one destined to fit snugly on a turntable rather than to live as ones and zeros on your iPod", while PopMatters Robert Alford called it "an album that unveils deeper levels of emotional impact and aesthetic dimension for a band that continues to challenge and captivate in ways that are entirely their own." Kevin Liedel of Slant Magazine, on the other hand, gave the album a mixed review, writing "But while the band admirably seeks to avoid mimicking Veckatimest's themes, it neither expands on those motifs nor presents anything interesting in their place. Pretty but formless, Shields plays like a calculated retreat into something altogether indistinct and inconsequential."Pitchfork ranked Shields at number 10 on its list of the top 50 albums of 2012, writing: "Shields is a magnificent record, where the lights are blazing, but nobody's feeling very much at home." The album was also listed at number 35 on Rolling Stones list of the top 50 albums of 2012, saying " Ed Droste and Daniel Rossen have grown into one of indie rock's most sophisticated songwriting teams, melding idiosyncratic approaches to texture and tune into a subtly mind-blowing whole." The album was listed at number 16 on Stereogum's list of top 50 albums of 2012. Commercial performanceShields