 At Metacritic , which assigns a <unk> rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics , the album received an average score of 73 , based on 6 reviews , and scoring higher than any other album by Clarkson . AllMusic 's senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave it a three @-@ and @-@ a @-@ half stars . He described its uptempo arrangements , as well as Clarkson 's vocal performance , as " bold and brassy " and its mid @-@ tempo arrangements as " even more <unk> " . He also noted the track selection " favors the bold , " but that " she <unk> well in this setting , always sounding like the strongest element in the mix " Towards the end of his review , he wrote that " Perhaps the concept and execution are conventional , but even in this utterly expected setting , Clarkson retains her fiery , individual spirit , and that 's what makes Wrapped in Red appealing : to the letter , it delivers what it promises . " Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine also gave it a similar rating . He noted that the album " largely offers a respite from the pop @-@ rock template she 's been relentlessly pursuing since <unk> , with less shouting and more of the varied range and texture on full display that helped <unk> her the winner of the inaugural season of American Idol . For better or worse , a decade of recording and touring has <unk> up the edges of her voice , lending a lived @-@ in quality that <unk> lyrics about love and longing with an authenticity that might have otherwise been missing had she recorded these songs just a few years earlier . " 
