Upon its release "Ecstasy" received moderate critical acclaim. "Melody Maker" referred to the album as "a series of aloof, pastel washes of sound, suspended guitars, words from the back of beyond tying in to a large, shifting whole" and "larger than the sum of its parts". In "Loveless", a book from the 33⅓ series about the My Bloody Valentine album of the same name, Mike McGonial referred to "Ecstasy" as a "rarified, effete and poppy approach to Byrdsian rock" and AllMusic rated the album two and a half out of five stars. In a separate review of "Ecstasy and Wine", AllMusic writer Bradley Torreano described "Ecstasy" as the point where the band "started moving toward Cocteau Twins territory, using guitarist Bilinda Butcher's airy voice to define their image" and when "Shields and Butcher exploring the guitar landscapes that would later become their trademark".