[20] Mark Deming of AllMusic commended Peck's lyricism, saying "He has no trouble writing songs that have the dramatic sweep his Roy Orbison meets Morrissey voice demands, and as a lyricist, he's an effective storyteller who doesn't shy away from a dollop of melodrama while still making his characters ring true.

"[17] NME writer Harry West praised Peck's musical growth, saying that "all 15 tracks feel sonically muscular and more mature than those of its predecessor" and called it "wholly modern and proudly queer".

"[12] Gigwise contributor Miles Cooke wrote that "With this bold, brash and liberated second album full of love and loss, cowboy romanticism, California sorrow and candid homosexuality, the enigmatic desperado continues his rise with a greater confidence and warmth than before.

Peck may be a master vocalizer capable of wringing maximum ardor out of a song, but he alternates between a portentous mumble and a throaty bellow, the kind of histrionics that were once the speciality of Elvis impersonators.

"[25] Dork contributor Steven Loftin said that Peck is "able to convey with the simplest touch a wealth of feeling as if he's reaching deep inside your heart and it's you he's bringing to life, but as easily as he does this, he leaves you in the cold of night wanting more.