Scott explained that the title track and the whole album are "built as a map to decolonize sound; to challenge previously held misconceptions about some cultures of music; to codify a new folkloric tradition and begin the work of creating a national set of rhythms".

The review stated, "With its layers of roiling African-suffused percussion crossbreeding with Western instrumentation, gripping spoken-word interludes, and Adjuah’s own trumpet and electronics, Ancestral Recall teems with audacity and authority.

"[21] Giovanni Russonello of The New York Times stated "Since 2015 he has placed a new emphasis on patterned, polyrhythmic drumming, using a tightened-up approach and more explicitly melding the sounds of modern hip-hop with ancient, diasporic rhythms...

[22] Piotr Orlov of Pitchfork Media added "On Ancestral Recall, few elements are left tethered to the time-worn rules of “jazz,” yet, as the title makes abundantly clear, the past remains paramount, and old global cultures the preferred engines into the future.

[8] In her review for DownBeat, Suzanne Lorge commented, "At times on Ancestral Recall, trumpeter Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah’s playing is so full of meaning that you almost can make out the intended words.

[5] Matt Collar of AllMusic commented "Ancestral Recall is a stylistically and culturally dynamic album borne out of Scott's deep awareness of his New Orleans roots and African American history, and his ability to push his forward-thinking post-bop skills into musical traditions far beyond jazz.

[3] Jim Hynes of Glide Magazine stated "Close your eyes and imagine a New Orleans multi-cultural street parade 50 or 60 years from now – pulsating rhythms, chants, and soaring horns that shift seamlessly from acoustic to electronic modes.