▁stars , ▁obser ving ▁that ▁the ▁album ▁has ▁" some ▁quality ▁f ren zy ", ▁but ▁critic izing ▁it ▁for ▁" lack [ ing ] ▁defining ▁episodes ▁of ▁c ath ars is ". ▁F ric ke ▁said , ▁" Sound g arden ▁seem ▁to ▁be ▁dig ging ▁in ▁their ▁he els ▁rather ▁than ▁kick ing ▁up ▁d irt , ▁re lying ▁too ▁much ▁on ▁dr one - y ▁impression ism ▁and ▁clever ▁( as ▁opposed ▁to ▁cle aving ) ▁guitar ▁mot ifs ." ▁Neil ▁Stra uss ▁of ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁called ▁the ▁album ▁the ▁" ra wer , ▁lo oser ▁follow - up ▁to ▁Super unknown ." ▁He ▁added , ▁" Gener ally , ▁ident ifying ▁with ▁animals ▁in ▁song ▁lyr ics ▁is ▁a ▁sign ▁of ▁low ▁self - este em , ▁and ▁Sound g arden ▁is ▁no ▁exception . ▁For ▁all ▁the ▁vir ility ▁and ▁mach o ▁power ▁that ▁rock ▁sing ers ▁have ▁tried ▁to ▁wr ing ▁from ▁the ▁[ s nake ], ▁Sound g arden ▁remains ▁more ▁interested ▁in ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁animal ▁curs ed ▁to ▁spend ▁its ▁days ▁sl ither ing ▁on ▁the ▁ground ." ▁ ▁David ▁Brow ne ▁of ▁Entertainment ▁Week ly ▁gave ▁the ▁album ▁a ▁B + . ▁Brow ne ▁said , ▁" F ew ▁bands ▁since ▁Led ▁Ze ppel in ▁have ▁so ▁cr isp ly ▁mixed ▁instruments ▁both ▁ac oust ic ▁and ▁electric ." ▁He ▁pra ised ▁several ▁songs ▁as ▁being ▁" as ▁powerful ▁as ▁anything ▁the ▁band ▁has ▁done ." ▁Brow