[2] While Hello was partly inspired by her breakup with Jason Mraz, Cedar + Gold was recorded after the couple reunited, got engaged, and then split again.

[9] Allmusic writer Matt Collar remarked that the songs on Cedar + Gold "are both personal and universally relatable, with melodies that stick in your head and tug at your heart."

"[3] Michelle Morgante of the Associated Press wrote that Prettyman "sings with an apparent honesty that is liberating", and that instead of anger, her voice displays "both fragility and strength, retrospection and introspection, and through it all there is love.

"[5] KC Libman of LA Weekly suggested that the album "moves away from the 'surfer girl' aesthetic of her previous records and into darker, more mature territory.

"[2] Alessandra Donnelly of The Aquarian Weekly said the album "blends together as you listen on without having any truly outstanding songs", and that while Prettyman "has a naturally smooth sound [...] her work does not leave the zone of generic comfort.