McIlrath's vocals were praised by several critics. Rausch commented he was able to alternate between singing and screaming on key, while Paul felt his voice conveyed abject despondency and earnest hope. Other critics agreed with Paul's assessment, calling McIlrath's vocal delivery "palpable", "passionate", and "ragged". Boy felt that the minimal use of screaming vocals heightened their overall impact, and noted that listeners who do not like screaming will still enjoy the album. By contrast, Christine Leonard of "Fast Forward Weekly" felt that McIlrath's harsh vocals undermined the political lyrics more than accentuated them.