The Tucson Weekly wrote that "the songs retain Farrar's downcast approach, but they're extremely well-written this time around; and the band seems to have been reinvigorated, putting a little more into their performances than the cultivated ennui we've become accustomed to.
ðə tˈʌksən wˈiːkli ɹˈoʊt ðˈæt "ðə sˈɔŋz ɹᵻtˈeɪn fˈæɹɑːɹz dˈaʊŋkæst ɐpɹˈoʊtʃ, bˌʌt ðeɪɚɹ ɛkstɹˈiːmli wˈɛlɹˈɪʔn̩ ðɪs tˈaɪm ɚɹˈaʊnd; ænd ðə bˈænd sˈiːmz tə hɐvbɪn ɹˌiːɪnvˈɪɡɚɹˌeɪɾᵻd, pˈʊɾɪŋ ɐ lˈɪɾəl mˈoːɹ ˌɪntʊ ðɛɹ pɚfˈoːɹmənsᵻz ðɐn ðə kˈʌltᵻvˌeɪɾᵻd ɛnˈuːi wiːv bɪkˌʌm ɐkˈʌstəmd tuː.