[8] Sputnikmusic review Nick Butler described Burial as "claustrophobic, nervous, and at times, scary", but also occasionally "gorgeous", like on "Forgive" which he called "heartbreakingly beautiful" yet "painfully minimal".

[10] Pitchfork Media critic Tim Finney noted the beats to be reminiscent of the playfulness of 2-step, except that the rhythms sound more nervous than joyful, and have a fast-running insubstantiality that brings to mind the fear and dread of dubstep.

He also noted this raincloud effect to be similar to techstep made by artists of Parasol Records sub-label Hidden Agenda or producer Dom & Roland in the late 1990s.

[11] Crackles of pirate radio and vinyl, as well as actual recordings of rain and fire, which Burial opined "would put most electronica producers to shame they’re so fucking heavy", are present on the album,[8] as well as vocal samples that have been described as yearning[12] and ghostly.

[3][13] According to journalist Derek Walmsley, "a melancholy tinge runs through the album, but the constant interplay of tension and calm, and of alienation and intimacy, offers the possibility of salvation around the next corner.

He notes this situation similar to the novel The Drowned World by J. G. Ballard, a science fiction author who is a common reference point in discussions regarding dubstep.

[15] He said that the setting of the LP is localized using titles like "South London Boroughs" and "Southern Comfort", which are two tracks where their "rippling canopies of amorphous sorrow-sound do for SE19 what Gas's Königsforst did for the woodlands near Cologne.

"[15] "Night Bus", instrumentated with a "beat-free Gorecki-like waft of mournful strings", represents the sadness of when Londoners, after clubbing, go through difficult public transport options because they're unable to afford cabs back to Zones three, four, five or six, low-rent areas where they reside.

In a five-star review, The Guardian's Dorian Lynskey wrote that listeners would not "need to know a thing about London's dubstep scene to find this cryptic debut the most mesmerising electronic album of the year".

[13] Simon Reynolds of The Guardian's sister paper, The Observer, highlighted the nervous sadness of the record that he thought would hurt and heal every listener.

[20] Tim Finney of Pitchfork felt that the album's ability to spin familiar music samples "into webs of torturous beauty" makes it a compelling listen, but also described it as "a brilliant EP padded out with sketches and noble failures", criticizing its inconsistency.

[17] Burial appeared on numerous year-end lists in 2006, including being named "Record of the Year" by The Wire magazine in its annual critics' poll.