[4][5] In his review on Allmusic, Alex Henderson states that the album "doesn't contain a lot of hard, aggressive, in-your-face funk of the "Super Freak"/"Love Gun" variety, but rather, is funky in a smoother, more polished and refined way à la 1980s underrated Garden of Love."

Concluding that "Deeper Still is not among James' essential releases, but hardcore fans can take comfort in knowing that it is a respectable and dignified swan song from the influential funkster.

"[6] Billboard considers that "rather than rely on the tried-and-true formula that brought fame and misfortune, James channels an introspective muse while expanding his musical purview."

It goes onto to state "Overall the album reveals a still rich voiced singer and a talented songwriter who was determined to mount another comeback.

"[7] Keith Murphy in his review in Vibe states "This is far from the gritty hardcore funk of 1981s Street Songs (Motown) that made James famous.