The song "For the Actor" from the album has been used on commercials for both AT&T wireless phones and for the Royal Caribbean cruise line.

Tim Sendra of AllMusic gave high praise to the duo's evolving musicianship for having additional instruments into their established blueprints and crafting tracks that are both catchy and contain deep intricacies, concluding that "Mates of State started off their career as a kind of curiosity (no guitars!)

but have grown into the kind of group where you can't wait to see what they will do next, even if it is only to release records like Bring It Back that strengthen and perfect their formula.

"[2] Sam Ubl of Pitchfork praised the duo's songs for containing various combinations of instrumentations, lyrics, genres and vocal tones that showcase their fullest musical capabilities, saying that the "Organ-and-drums duo gingerly lift the moratorium on six-strings and explore a more varied sonic palette, resulting in their best album to date.

"[4] Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone praised the duo's vocal work over various types of love songs, saying that "Plucky, precious and sometimes cloying, their fourth album unfolds like a fussed-over valentine.