 According to review aggregator Metacritic, "Murdering Oscar (And Other Love Songs)" has a score of 80/100, indicating "generally favorable reviews".Several critics described "Murdering Oscar"s music as more intimate and personal than Hood's previous work with the Drive-By Truckers.Jon Pareles also noted that Hood's music on "Murdering Oscar" discusses both depressing topics, such as murder and suicide, as well as more positive ones such as "family and continuity" on "I Understand Now".