The album was self-produced alongside their long-time collaborating partner Dan Hannon, and mixed by John Agnello at Fluxivity Studios in Brooklyn.

It was revealed that Cope was recorded entirely in the band's recently completed home studio, and the album was described as an "unrelenting and unapologetically heavy 38 minutes of rock.

[4] In a review for AllMusic, Matt Collar claimed that, "Manchester Orchestra's fourth studio effort, 2014's Cope, is a heavy, often dark, yet incredibly melodic album that finds the Atlanta outfit delving deep into its post-hardcore roots.

"[5] At Alternative Press, Brian Shultz rated the album four stars out of five, saying that the band are "appeared to be making the artist natural self-reaction statement when the promised their fourth full-length [...] would be 'brutal', 'pounding' and 'unapologetically heavy' rock record in contrast to the emotional and musical bell curve" of its predecessor, which this even "though appearing far more straightforward to the average listener, certainly delivers just that: it's the band's signature sound, only beefed up with massive choruses, heavy plowing and pleasing anguish".

"[15] Rhian Daly of NME said the album veers from the "prettier, quieter moments" of Simple Math and "focuses instead on turbo-charged power-pop.