The album has its admirers. Writing in a Rolling Stone Press tribute book, Greg Kot labels "Extra Texture" as "something of a return to form for Harrison". AllMusic's Richard Ginell views "You", "The Answer's at the End" and "This Guitar (Can't Keep from Crying)" as some of Harrison's best post-Beatles compositions and identifies other "musical blossoms" on a collection that stands up relatively well to the passing of time. while John Harris, in his 2011 review for "Mojo", described it as "a classic case of contractual obligation" but still a "decided improvement" on "Dark Horse". Chaz Lipp opines of "Extra Texture": "Though not without a few notable tracks, it's the least satisfying album of Harrison's entire career ... The essential cut is the grooving 'Tired of Midnight Blue.'" In his review for "Classic Rock", Paul Trynka writes that the album "boasts neither the highs nor lows of its predecessors" and is "the work of a man wounded by criticism". In Trynka's assessment, whereas "You" "sounds dull today", "confessional songs" such as "World of Stone", "Tired of Midnight Blue" and "Grey Cloudy Lies" "have worn well". Writing for the website Vintage Rock, Shawn Perry similarly considers "You" to be "out of sync", and he highlights "This Guitar" and "Grey Cloudy Lies" on "a creative and introspective album that's aged well".