Midnight Sun from the webzine God is in the TV highlighted the album's "emotional core," where its mysterious tone is "led by the soul’s need for resolution," claiming, "what makes The Midnight Sun so utterly compelling is its spontaneous nature and unmatched beauty, which is in many ways much like life-itself." AllMusic praised The Midnight Sun for having "significantly bolder strokes" than Architect and that it "rewards a patient ear and an open heart," and Gigsoup praised the album's "transcendence of genre." The Quietus claimed, "[Duncan] writes melodies you feel you’ve always known, harmonies that satisfy your ears and cadences that strike with and at your heart. If anything, this album is better than his first, as he settles confidently on his recognisable but versatile sound." musicOMH praised the LP for being "carefully and painstakingly thought out" like Architect while making this task sound "effortless," and Rodríguez wrote that it has "an asset that allows [Duncan] to interlace all kinds of sonic and tangible elements without dismissing his prominent folk leanings." The Guardian claimed The Midnight Sun had "a spirituality that, in a year of bold musical statements and political upheaval, provides a soothing tonic; an escapist episode of spectacular beauty." A mixed review by Billy Hamilton of Under the Radar found the tracks to only be "subtle variations of the same song," opining the album was mostly "lush and immersive" and little else. The 405 Robert Whitfield criticized the LP's atmospheric elements for getting in the way of the lyrics and vocals: "C Duncan’s vocals are often buried under so many layers that what message or meaning he wishes to communicate is lost. Ultimately it means that The Midnight Sun is more of an atmospheric experience, than an emotive one." The Midnight Sun made it to the shortlist of the 2017 Scottish Album of the Year Award, an annual award that honors records made by Scottish artists, but lost to the LP Strike a Match (2016) by the rock band Sacred Paws. In terms of year-end lists from publications, the album was number 36 on a list of the best albums by Under the Radar and number 7 on God is in the TV's list. Track listing Track lengths derived from the iTunes Store. Release history Charts References 2016 albums C Duncan albums Baroque pop albums FatCat Records albums Albums recorded in a home studio