[2] For the first time ever Danilova has brought in session musicians: Nick Johnson (drums, who is also a member of her live band), Sean McCann (viola, violin) and Ryan York (cello, double bass).

[2] Some critics mentioned Danilova's initial intention "to make a big sounding pop album", and the way she's "found that the music she was creating was expressing itself as something more introspective", as the work progressed.

"Despite stepping away from the notion of making a pop album, 'In Your Nature' hints at where Conatus might have headed had Danilova's tendency to write songs that inhabit the darker end of the spectrum not come to the fore", according to musicOMH.

[4] Resident Advisor cited "Seekir" and "In Your Nature" as "prime examples of how she has quickly and impressively matured from bedroom industrial experimentalist to perverse yet universal synth-popper",[5] while Anupa Mistry of Canadian magazine Now opined that on Conatus, Zola Jesus "reveals herself as an avant-gardist with pop ambition.

"[6] The Los Angeles Times also found "below the bleak, seasick surfaces" a "deeply romantic streak that complicates the idea of who or what Zola Jesus is", noting that "[i]t's this disarming sensuality that allowed Danilova to fit in alongside Beck and Mike Patton at a recent Serge Gainsbourg tribute at the Hollywood Bowl.

"[7] Evan Hanlon of Dusted Magazine opined that "Seekir" "is the closest Zola Jesus gets to a club hit" and even draws parallels with Lady Gaga: "There is the singular, artistic persona that represents an entire project of identity.

"[8] Now reviewer Anupa Mistry agreed, stating: "Like her prior work, the songs are thematically dark and diffuse, but the dancey impulses on 'Vessel' and 'Seekir' signal headier paths ahead.

She also wrote that over the course of the album, Danilova "nods to goth, synth pop, industrial, and abstract electronica without pledging allegiance to any one style; she's forging her own path", presenting "fractured beats and electronics [...] alongside strings and other organic elements in a pristine studio setting.

"[10] Ben Hewitt of The Quietus mentioned how prior to the album's release Zola Jesus "revealed that she'd immersed herself so deeply in its (typically cheery) themes of alienation and isolation that she became 'completely lost'", adding that "while the misery of Stridulum II was often delivered with the same subtlety as a Hammer Horror movie, Conatus is far more ambient and ethereal—and doubly eerie as a result.

"[12] "Though some may miss the rough and raw approach of her last two EPs, it's refreshing and exciting to hear music that relies on bone-hard essence rather than gauzy trimmings to create an aura of mystery.

[13] Among other artists Conatus reviewers compared Zola Jesus to are Tori Amos,[5] New Order,[8] Patti Smith,[14] Stevie Nicks,[14] Throbbing Gristle,[13] Elizabeth Fraser,[15] Dead Can Dance[13][14] and Siouxsie Sioux.

Under her stage name Zola Jesus, the opera-trained Danilova has paired vocals that are akin to a siren's call with neo-gothic synths that carry the listener to an often sinister land of mystery.

[24] Sam Shepherd of musicOMH wrote, "More bare structurally, musically and emotionally than its predecessor, yet by the same token, fuller and more alive, [Conatus] is an amazing work that showcases a phenomenal talent and a unique voice.

"[4] Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times gave Conatus a 3.5/4 rating, calling it a "thoroughly bewitching album",[7] while Stephane Girard of Resident Advisor dubbed it "Zola Jesus' most gratifying offering so far",[5] and The A.V.

"[17] Pitchfork's Brian Howe viewed the album as a huge step forward as well, noting that "[m]ost traces of obscuring murk have burned away, so that every pock and ridge in the rugged, elemental music stands out distinctly.

"[18] Jen Long of BBC Music felt that the album is "trademark Zola Jesus" which hasn't "taken any great strides away from the formula that's served its master so well to date" and, while the production has certainly taken a step up, the lyrical content of songs prove to be less memorable than the delivery.