"Critical reception to the album was generally positive, with Allmusic reviewer Mark Deming stating that "if "I Blame You" isn't going redefine the way we look at rock & roll, it confirms that the word on these guys wasn't wrong — the Obits are a very good band", but also noting that "the Obits might just have the stuff to save rock & roll, or at least keep it off life support for a while, but as good as "I Blame You" may be, they're going to have to get their songwriting chops in order before they can really finish the job."