The album was produced by Mark Miller, lead singer of the country music band Sawyer Brown, and recorded in Nashville, Tennessee.

Two other members of Sawyer Brown — Gregg "Hobie" Hubbard and Jim Scholten — also contribute on background vocals and bass guitar, respectively.

AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted that the record was "country music with anthemic pop hooks and a rock edge" marketed towards "the middle-American and Southern fans" that voted for Covington on American Idol but praised it for being "effective" and helping Covington sound like "a genuine modern country singer" that's confident in his vocalization and storytelling, concluding that: "Ultimately, Bucky Covington is the sound of a Nashville pro like Mark Miller translating Bucky's TV persona onto record: it may be slick and calculating, but there's pleasure in that professionalism and, thanks to Bucky, there's a ring of truth to the album.

"[6] Mandi Bierly of Entertainment Weekly called it a "versatile debut", concluding that: "While we acknowledge his softer side, it's the tracks with teeth-grinding bravado bubbling below the surface ("Back When We Were Gods") or boiling over ("The Bible and the Belt") that make us believers.

"[8] Brady Vercher of Engine 145 wrote that the producers should've played to Covington's strength and supplied him with more southern rock tracks like "American Friday Night" and "Back When We Were Gods", despite giving praise to "I'll Walk" and "It's Good to Be Us" for being solid offerings with different sounds, concluding that: "Overall, the album seems to be Bucky's tribute to the styles of country music that he loves; it was all over the place.

"[9] Bucky Covington debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 and atop the Top Country Albums chart, selling 61,000 copies in its first week.