gave it a score of four out of five and said it "remains compelling throughout thanks to its peaks and valleys." BBC Music also gave it a favorable review and called it "an album that delivers more and more with every listen, showcasing an artist maturing with grace and poise." Beats Per Minute gave it a score of 79% and said, "Ryan Adams has delivered the goods right now and he appears to be more focused and in a better creative space than he has at any other point in his career." The A.V. Club gave it a B and said it was "everything Ryan Adams records usually aren't: uniform in sound and mood, emotionally centered, and straight-arrow consistent, sometimes to its detriment." Spin gave it a score of seven out of ten and said that Adams is "purely elegant throughout". Other reviews are average or mixed, however: Sputnikmusic gave it a score of three out of five and said, "For an album heavily predicated on Adams' historically hit-or-miss songwriting, Ashes & Fire is surprisingly steady." Under the Radar gave it a score of six stars out of ten and called it "a delightful Saturday-morning House-cleaning music." The Observer gave it a score of three stars out of five and said, "It hasn't the shiver factor of his debut but there's pleasure in such smooth, elegantly crafted songs after his recent strainings." Drowned in Sound also gave it a score of six out of ten and said, "While it might not be a consistent classic like Heartbreaker or Gold, there's flashes of those earlier triumphs from Adams' career on Ashes & Fire." Now gave it a score of three out of five and called it "a typical Ryan Adams release." American Songwriter also gave it a score of three out of five stars and called it "a solid, not spectacular album with a few very fine songs." Blurt gave it a score of five stars out of ten and said, "Despite the obvious care for craftsmanship, no standouts emerge." Tiny Mix Tapes gave it a score of two stars out of five and said, "Its total lack of affectation is the album's biggest problem. It feels like it's sequenced to fit some expectation of what types of songs an album should have." Track listing Japanese Edition (SICP-3322) Bonus tracks "Petal in a Rainstorm" (bonus flexidisc with pre-orders from PAX-AM) "Darkness"