Tapes called Rings Around the World "one of the, if not the, best releases of 2002", describing it as a "mixture of sugar pop of yesteryear and modern Britpop" resulting in a "near perfect" album. Rings Around the World was later nominated for 2001's Mercury Music Prize. In a review for Stylus Magazine, Scott Plagenhoef wrote that on Rings Around the World, the band are "gleefully working outside of a scene or prototype" and "dabbling in a world of musical influences and Western hegemony, playing the merry prankster to Radiohead's gloom – and all with a smile, and in three-part harmony". Writing for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised the record, claiming that it "shines brightly" compared to the "dead world of mainstream and indie rock in 2001" but expressed disappointment that it is "the first SFA album not to progress from its predecessor". Rob Brunner of Entertainment Weekly claimed that at its best, the album "recalls a lost Brian Wilson-style psychedelic marvel", but went on to state that it is "at times marred by forced eccentricity", citing the "heavy metal gorgon voice booming through 'Receptacle for the Respectable'" and the "awful lite-rock homage" "Juxtapozed with U" as examples. Q stated that, although songs such as "(Drawing) Rings Around the World", "Shoot Doris Day" and "Presidential Suite" are "excellent", the album features "nothing to change anyone's world", while the NME claimed that, despite containing some great songs, it is the band's worst album. Robert Christgau of The Village Voice singled out "Tradewinds" as a "choice cut", indicating a "good song on an album that isn't worth your time or money." Accolades * denotes an unordered list Track listing Personnel All track numbers refer to the CD version of Rings Around the World'' unless otherwise stated. Band Gruff Rhys – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, harmonica Huw Bunford – lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, pedal steel Guto Pryce – bass guitar Cian Ciaran – keyboards, backing vocals Dafydd Ieuan – drums, backing vocals, co-lead vocals on "Receptacle for the Respectable" Additional musicians Howard Gott – violin on tracks 1, 6, 11 Harriet Harris – violin on tracks 4, 7, 10 Sally Herbert – violin on tracks 4, 7, 10 Steven Hussey – violin on track 6 Jackie Norrie – violin on tracks 1, 4, 7, 10, 11 Sonia Slany – violin on tracks 4, 7, 10 Lucy Theo – violin on track