 At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 66, based on 22 critics, having a higher score than "Violet Cries", which had a score of 64.Allmusics Heather Phares said that "On their debut album, Violet Cries, Esben and the Witch excelled at creating a mood that was equally bewitching and ominous.When this mood collided with a memorable melody or hook, it showed just how powerful the band could be; on Wash the Sins Not Only the Face, they deliver on that promise with more nuance and more confidence", concluding with "The opposite of a sophomore slump, Wash the Sins Not Only the Face is sleek and spectral, and finds Esben and the Witch casting their spell even more successfully."