[5] On this album, principal songwriter Newman sought to expand the band's sound, incorporating both the polished pop music that they are known for as well as more "angular" and "almost abrasive" elements to their style.

rated the album a seven out of 10, writing that the band's songwriting has matured and "this is the first of their records that seems to want listeners to marinate in the vibe, if only for one quick moment, before moving on to the next three-minute dopamine hit".

[16] John Walshie of Hot Press scored this release a nine out of 10, opining that there is "not a weak song here, as the Canadians deliver a career high".

[17] The Line of Best Fit rated Continue as a Guest an eight out of 10, with Craig Howieson noting a theme of carpe diem, with the band "surging forward unperturbed by the passing of time or by what has come before".

[23] John Murphy of musicOMH rated Continue as a Guest four out of five stars, characterizing it as "another reliable chapter in the Canadians' storied career", but not "their most immediate album though – it takes several plays for these song's delights to fully reveal themself".

[19] Pitchfork's Ian Cohen scored this release a 6.8 out of 10, noting the strength of Newman's perspective as a songwriter, but complained that "they once tapped into the big, sloppy emotions of pop music without succumbing to its obviousness" and that the band's performances have suffered with the loss of drummer Kurt Dahle.

[20] Editors of AllMusic Guide gave this album four out of five stars, with critic Timothy Monger characterizing the music, "the band's inherent sense of craft gives even their moodiest cuts a sense of play and, at times, even mischief" and noting that while this lacks the immediacy of some previous albums by the group, but "it succeeds more subtly on its own terms and begs for repeated listens".