[2] The album is mostly instrumental, though Lani Hall provides vocals on the track "Maniac".

Writing for The Washington Post, Mike Joyce described the album as a mixture of the sounds of the older Tijuana Brass and the newer dance hits of the 1970s.

He noted, "The ballad 'Always Have a Dream' ... is equipped with the sort of lilting melody that Alpert's tart trumpet always accommodated handsomely back then, [and] 'Passion Play' is another reminder of those Latin rhythms."

But, he added, "Many of the tracks on 'Bullish' seem more inspired by the dance hits Alpert had in the disco era."

In the same review, the track "Maniac" was poorly received, as "a rather odd choice for a Brass reunion; nor can singer Lani Hall keep the tune from sounding dated and miscast".