"Uncut" gave it 4 of 5 stars, and said that the album "contains some of the best music Sonic Youth have recorded since the landmark "Daydream Nation" in 1988". "Blender" also gave it 4 of 5 stars and said of Sonic Youth, "They've got more sweet-and-bitter guitar muscle than ever". "Q" likewise gave the album 4 stars and called it "an essay in coolly assured, sophisticated leftfield rock, occasionally laden with trademark discordance yet also full of scintillating tunes". "Billboard" gave it a favorable review and said the album "features some of the group's most focused and seductive work ever". "Mojo" also gave the album 4 stars while labeling it as the "Album of the Month", and said, "The band's conventional elements are even more conventional while the boundary-pushers stretch as far as ever". "Spin" likewise gave the album a score of 8 out of 10 and said, "This time around, the band square their artier tendencies with their sweet tooth for classic psych-rock". No Ripcord gave it 8 of 10 stars and said, "If you doubt the importance of Sonic Youth then a few listens to Murray Street will make you think again. Yes, there are only seven rather lengthy tracks here but you'll have to look elsewhere for signs of indulgence".