The album received positive reviews from most music critics. K. Ross Hoffman of AllMusic gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, writing "A welcome return from one of the most sophisticated and distinctive voices in British dance-pop, "Trip the Light Fantastic" is easily Sophie Ellis-Bextor's most dynamic album to date. Markedly more consistent than its enjoyable-but-spotty predecessors, but also – more importantly – far more gutsy, varied and vital, its many strong points are the most exciting of her career." Hoffman also named it a "tremendously enjoyable record that stands as a shining example of the state of the art." Nick Levine of "Digital Spy" also gave the album a rating of 4 out of 5 stars, writing ""Trip the Light Fantastic" easily fulfils the promise of its fizzy singles." Stuart McCaighy of "This Is Fake DIY" gave the album 8 out of 10 stars, writing that Ellis-Bextor "has a class, an air which most pop stars lack." Pete Cashmore of "NME" gave the album a rating of 6 out of 10 stars, writing "Ellis-Bextor proffers lush, mechanical dance muzak, which is probably not what you want, so it helps that with the swooping 'New York City Lights' she is also delivering good pop songs. As pointlessly opulent as walking into a Walkabout pub and ordering a Cosmopolitan, and no less satisfying."