Retrospective reviews have also been favourable. Stewart Mason of Allmusic rated the album three stars out of five, a less favourable score than those awarded by the website to the band's previous albums. Mason said that the album was "a solid but somewhat hectoring album" which "is a bit wearying to listen to." "Trouser Press" were favourable to the album, praising the back-to-basics lyrical approach and the musical style, and described the songs on the album which diverge from that style as "a few usefully contrasting digressions." "Deadline" said the album was band's "strongest LP" since "101 Damnations", commenting that it "recaptures the anger and the frustration, the all-round urgency, of their debut." In the 2011 edition of Colin Larkin's book "Encyclopedia of Popular Music", Larkin rated the album four stars out of five, one of three albums by the duo to receive the rating.