David Fricke at Rolling Stone praised the song's "lyric mix of run-on, conversational syntax and curveball wordplay.

"[9] Pitchfork reviewer Jason Josephes called it "downright pretty," noting that it "merges Cocteau Twins-esque guitars and melody with equal sigh and much more articulate lyrics.

"[10] The publication later ranked its parent album among the best to come from the Pacific Northwest, with columnist Evan Rytlewski singling out "Zero": "Although Martsch has often written about how the insecurities of youth trail us into adulthood, he’s never done so more movingly than on 'Carry the Zero,' six minutes of tough love packaged in a hug.

Club called it the band's best-ever song: "a dreamy yet surging exploration that displays Martsch at the height of his prowess for infectious melody and arresting solos.

Doug Martsch's golden-toned Idaho outfit roll out all their loveliest soaring hooks, striking a perfect balance between weighty rock crunch and sweet, gleaming twinkles.