[1] Thom Jurek of AllMusic found Broken Record to be "small in scope, but full of crafty hooks, wry, self deprecating humor, and genuine irony.

Cole's lyric panache is enhanced by this solid meld of classic singer/songwriter-ish pop, country-tinged acoustic rock, and crystalline production".

It is accessible and melodic, relatively brief at a little over 35 minutes, feeling country with pedal steel without committing itself fully to Nashville".

[3] Reviewing the album for Record Collector, Terry Staunton called it "a busier and more beefed-up collection than 2006's Antidepressant, yet sacrifices none of the introspective intimacy at which the singer excels".

He also felt the record is "delivered with the poetic grace and subtle humour we've come to expect, but with a refreshed focus that comes from having collaborators off whom to bounce ideas".