Kyle Ryan of "the A.V. Club" called Taking Back Sunday's sound on their debut album "fresh and raw" and their approach to "Louder Now" "formulaic." According to Ryan, Lazzara "changed his style a bit" and "occasionally sound like his jaw is wired shut." "Entertainment Weekly" reviewer Clark Collis wrote that the album's title "justifies its name thanks to a chunkier array of riffs and choruses" compared to "Where You Want to Be". Sarah Dean wrote on "FasterLouder" that "Louder Now" differs from the band's past records; it has "a darker mood, bigger choruses and perhaps even catchier melodies," with the "emo-pop punk flavour Taking Back Sunday are renowned for." "Gigwise" contributor Lee Glynn wrote that the album had "no standout tracks" other than "MakeDamnSure." Apart from the latter, "there is nothing on this album that reaffirms them as a band full of malice and bite." Spence D. of IGN gave the album a score of 6.7 out of 10: "It's a safe bet to say that TBS diehards will soak up the 11 tracks with a sponge-like vengeance. Newcomers may wonder what all the bells and whistles are about, though. But tracks like 'My Blue Heaven', 'Spin', 'Divine Intervention' and 'I'll Let You Live' promise even greater things to come from this band, who are only now hinting at their growing sonic maturity."