Early reviews for the album in the U.S. ranged from negative to tentatively positive. "Billboard"s terse review, published uncharacteristically late, called it an "exciting, well-produced LP" with "two superb instrumental cuts", and highlighted the "strong single potential" of "Wouldn't It Be Nice". Biographer David Leaf wrote in 1978 that the album received "scattered" instances of praise from American reviewers; the group's fans initially considered "Pet Sounds" too challenging, and "quickly passed the word to 'stay away from the new Beach Boys album, it's weird.'"