Writing for the Chicago Tribune, Bill Wyman described Joy as a "dizzying, insular tour de force" and awarded it three out of four stars. Karen Schoemer's brief writeup in the New York Times concluded that the album "at times seems too contrived, but Mr. Ralske's own joy in the sounds he creates is irresistible."
Bill Wyman, writing for the Chicago Tribune, described Joy as a "dizzying, insular tour de force" and gave it three out of four stars. Karen Schoemer, writing for the New York Times, found that the album was "at times too contrived, but Mr. Ralske's own joy in the sounds he creates is irresistible."