"[3] To the musician, the album felt like it "distilled all the different elements of" his music of the previous 15 years and called it his "most complete record to date.

"[5] On 12 September, McAuley released a third single titled "Bad Lines," a "happy hardcore salute" that blends UK dance music "with his own unique brand of world-building.

"[6] Writing for Pitchfork, Philip Sherburne awarded Changing Channels the accolade "Best New Music," saying Pangaea created a record that avoids what other mainstream "chart-pop samples" or "Eurodance classics" are guilty of: "a vaguely guilty-pleasure insinuation of getting away with something naughty."

Sherburne opined that the album captures "a welcome shift in flow" while being proof that one "can get silly without sounding stupid.

"[7] In Resident Advisor, Changing Channels is described as an album that "takes McAuley's deft touch to route-one house, breakbeat techno and happy hardcore.