Despite positive national reviews and Mercury's stated belief that "Little Dudes" (finally released in November) was "a potential sleeper hit," "Monkeys" sold only about 1,000 copies during the first four months after its release, according to the SoundScan tracking service. At least one industry observer called Pee Shy a victim of bad timing, since its album came out just as alternative music was experiencing a decline in sales, but Juristo said the band had learned to be "more aggressive and consistent" with the next album—if there was one.