[3] Upon release, Nothing but Thieves received generally positive reviews from critics, with several comments on the development of the band's style.

[8] Taylor also praised the album for 'pushing more boundaries than the last', highlighting the variety in their music and lyricism as an example of them further defining their style.

gave similar praise, writing that the band had showcased their ability to 'follow in the footsteps of rock giants' with their latest album.

Luke Nuttall of The Soundboard builds on the more critical thoughts of Köke by describing the album as having only 'fragments' of the strongest elements from its predecessor, with most of the 'heavy lifting' being done by the vocals of Conor Mason.

He provides a contrasting opinion to that of Taylor and Köke, stating that the band's attempt to experiment with their sound as 'falling flat'.