The album did receive some negative reception. Joe Crofton of musicOMH called the album a mixed bag, saying that it loses momentum after the first two tracks and drags towards its conclusion. He commented that the influence of the Internet on the indie scene may have lessened the album concluding with, "That isn't to say that this is a bad album but it definitely doesn't deserve the headache inducing amount of hype that has surrounded it." Sam Richards of "Uncut" found songs like "We Used to Vacation" and "Hang Me Up to Dry" showcased the band's "real gift for drama," but criticized the rest of the album for its misplaced blues production and sense of detachment from the songs. Marc Hogan of "Pitchfork" criticized the band for its songwriting, melodies and Christian symbolism, saying that ""Robbers and Cowards" insults our intelligence a few times too often." Cat Dirt Sez of the "San Diego CityBeat" said that Hogan's review was an example of lazy journalism, with lead guitarist Jonnie Russell saying that the reviewer wanted a wittier approach to the album rather than a thoughtful assessment of it.