ability to not be pigeon-holed into one specific sound, observing that the album showcases their "delicious blend of infection and perky rock," incorporating Glassjaw, Thursday and Jimmy Eat World "into a potent Molotov cocktail." Drowned in Sound writer Peter White referred to What It Is to Burn as an "absolutely gut smokingly fantastic record." FasterLouder Roby Anson described it as an "album of sadness, gladness, big chunky guitar riffs, smart chord progressions and a rhythm section that chugs along nicely in each song." LAS Magazine writer Andy Vaughn noted the Glassjaw influence added "a great deal of intensity" to the album, which he felt "would be missing otherwise." He commended Finch for making an "extremely strong debut." Melodic webmaster Johan Wippsson said the album has "the perfect mix of good melodies with the extra edge," and complimented Trominbo's "great" production style. He lauded the "very consistent" nature of the tracks, "which are on a very high level all the time." The team from Ultimate Guitar hailed the album, saying it "kicks so much ass" and lacks any skippable tracks. Sputnikmusic emeritus Ryan Flatley praised "Grey Matter" and "Project Mayhem" for their energy, but said that the album turned out to be a bit of a disappointment due to the large amount of hype surrounding its release. Exclaim! Amber Authier commented that Finch "doesn't do a bad job" of merging punk rock and metal together. However, she felt that the lyrical content on What It Is to Burn came across as a "little too deep, separating the two styles instead of blending them into something a little different." Lina Lecaro of the Los Angeles Times said the band bounced "between soothing croons and throat-burning wails, metallic riffs and bubbly beats," a fusion that "kept things interesting ... even if the shifts weren't always seamless." While Barcalow "proved himself to be a versatile vocalist on tunes ... his range didn't quite make up for his lack of charisma," Lecaro added. Kerrang! reviewer Paul Travers criticized the titles of the songs on the album, saying that Finch were "in need of a good slap ... you can almost taste the salty tang of tears spilling out of the speakers." Commercial performance and legacy What It Is to Burn charted at number 99 on the US Billboard 200 chart. By April 2003, the album had sold over 200,000 copies in the US. It charted