 While Sputnikmusic reviewer John Hanson was acceptive of the rock songs, where he felt "the boys are most comfortable," he considered that the songwriting "has just become stale" and ultimately described "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" as "extremely boring and uninspired".PopMatters' Josh Timmermann was very critical of the overtly serious tone of the record compared to the lighthearted work the band had done before, joking that the title of "Cheer Up, Boys" "sounds like the suggestion of a concerned fan for a band he or she used to actually care about.