Some reviewers expressed reservations. In "Rolling Stone", Ken Tucker said the lyrics generally amount to non sequiturs, meaningless phrases, and pretentious aphorisms, but are ultimately secondary to the music. Although he found Verlaine's solos potentially formless and boring, Tucker credited him for structuring his songs around chilling riffs and "a new commercial impulse that gives his music its catchy, if slashing, hook". "High Fidelity" felt the music's "scaring amalgam of rich, brightly colored textures" compensates for Verlaine's nearly unintelligible lyrics. Noel Coppage from "Stereo Review" was more critical of the singing and songwriting, likening "Marquee Moon" to a stale version of Bruce Springsteen. Nigel Hunter wrote in "Gramophone" that Verlaine's lyrics and guitar playing are vague and that listeners will need a "strong commitment to this type of music to get much out of it".