 Some reviewers highlighted Cook's songwriting, including "Dayton Daily News"'s Lawrence Budd who said the album showed her as a "singer-songwriter with stories to share".Doerschuk remarked that Cook's writing had prevented "contemporary distractions in order to connect directly to a more conservative aesthetic".Despite their criticism of the album's "hick title", a contributor for "The Greenville News" commended Cook for writing with "vivid immediacy and smartness".