"Q" called it "Unashamedly Epic." "NME" said "This is something genuinely fresh... here friends, is the real sound of progress (reference to the band's previous effort, "The Fake Sound of Progress")" and Observer Music Monthly credited Start Something on being "A hybrid of big rock choruses, powerful rhythms and a neat pop edge to their rock artillery." "Entertainment Weekly" gave the album a B and said that Lostprophets "mostly live up to that high standard by juxtaposing gnarly metal riffs with quirky electronic interludes. Only the occasional lapse into Linkin Park-style self-indulgence drags them down."