[7] Uncut's Daniel Dylan Wray stated that "guitars take a backseat role here and are generally utilised for adding texture and atmosphere, while synths are plentiful.

[10] Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Marcy Donelson called it, "far from dispirited, as [Shah] yet again tweaks her theatrical, gothy art-rock sound toward something that's glossy, dissonant, and primordial, with consistently strong grooves, thumping unison tom-toms, and Eastern musical modes weaving their way in throughout.

[2] Will Hodgkinson of The Times praised it as "a bold and original album about her crisis years, free of self-pity and oddly uplifting", adding that "her voice... bridges the gap between Shirley Bassey and Siouxsie Sioux".

[9] Writing for The Line of Best Fit, John Amen commented, "With Filthy Underneath, Shah doesn't necessarily reinvent herself, though she certainly recommits to honesty, vulnerability, and stepping out of comfort zones, all the while documenting an important self-initiation".

[6] In NME, Max Pilley declared, "Shah is writing about the darkest places a person can reach in a devastatingly human manner that demonstrates a rare level of repose and reflection.