Aphex Twin tracks, Syro is still utterly engrossing and remains, somewhat unbelievably, on a completely different planet". NME reviewer Louis Pattison surmised that the album is "a banging reminder of why the Cornish raver is one of music's true innovators". Pattison further stated that "whereas Drukqs sometimes felt alienating or punishing, Syro charms and beguiles … [it is] amazing: bug-eyed, banging rave that sounds quintessentially Aphex while not quite sounding like anything he's done before." In his review for The Wire, Derek Walmsley wrote positively that "Syro feels like a perfected memory of 80s music," adding "its sweeping melodies, with echoes of 1991's Analogue Bubblebath, could be seen as a return to his roots" but concluded that "Aphex Twin's music seems as new as it ever was." Rolling Stone reviewer Will Hermes stated that the record "answers Daft Punks Random Access Memories with future-shock electronics supplanting nostalgic dazzle … graying snobs once called this 'intelligent dance music.' Even now, few do it better." The Independents Andy Gill called Syro "a collection primarily concerned with the somatic rather than cerebral sides of Richard James' music, overdosing somewhat on staccato, bouncing synth twangs and jittery drum'n'bass beats." Syros closing track "aisatsana [102]" drew comparisons to the works of French composer Erik Satie from both The Independent and Drowned in Sound. Summarising the album, review Tom Fenwick said that "Syro sees a master craftsman return with renewed inspiration. And while it might not technically be James' most innovative album, it way well be his best … and once you let the hype drain away—what's revealed is pretty much flawless."Resident Advisors Jordan Rothlein described Syro as "freewheeling and playful, but its every warbled note and compositional hard-left betray consideration and technical expertise that didn't come overnight. In terms of impressive twists and turns, they're myriad. Tracks morph, pressurize and reorganize—but never break down, exactly—following a completely unpredictable if utterly natural logic". Writing for AllMusic, Andy Kellman referred to Syro as "one of James' most inviting and enjoyable releases" and said the album is "decked in accents and melodies that are lively even at their most distressed". Derek Staples of Consequence of Sound said Syro "peaks as Aphex Twin's most accessible album since his ambient works". Pitchfork highlighted Syro as part of the publication's "Best New Music"; editor Mark Richardson wrote that Syro "has few extremes, no hyper-intense splatter-breaks or satanic 'Come to Daddy' vocals