[3] Upon release, Graeme Marsh of MusicOMH commented: "Whilst Nil by Mouth was entirely instrumental, Commuter 23 walks a similar path but this time adds back in the odd vocal here and there.

It dabbles in ambience and experimentation as before, as well as minimalism, synth soundscapes and occasional downright weirdness but with – in the main – a more humane feel.

"[6] Paul Scott-Bates of Louder Than War wrote: "Commuter 23 sees Blancmange continue to mature.

As Arthur continues well into his fifties, so the music develops beyond the perfect pop of the 80s and further into a more comfortable sounding, often experimental phase.

"[5] Ian Shirley of Record Collector described Commuter 23 as a "compelling earful [and] musically a wide-ranging collection".