AllMusic journalist Ned Raggett wrote: ""Junk Culture" exhibits all the best qualities of OMD at their most accessible — instantly memorable melodies and McCluskey's distinct singing voice, clever but emotional lyrics, and fine playing all around." "Trouser Press" asserted: ""Junk Culture" is much stronger "Dazzle Ships", pulling away further from sparkling pop while retaining smart melodies in far denser and newly dance-based styles. 'Tesla Girls' employs scratch production to great effect while fixing on science as a clever lyrical base (shades of Sparks); the rhythm-heavy 'Locomotion' and the more fanciful 'Talking Loud and Clear' are likewise ace tracks." John Bergstrom in "PopMatters" wrote: ""Junk Culture" was not OMD's most acclaimed album, but it just might be a perfectly efficient primer on what makes the British synthesizer band so special." Bergstrom noted that much of the record's sound was darker than typical synthpop music of the era, and both he and Raggett had particular praise for the album's singles. "Louder Than War" critic Paul Scott-Bates said the LP has no filler, and is "simply one of those timeless albums".