Empire noted that the writing in Gold Record is more oriented on others, as compared to Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest, which she described as personal and introspective.

She writes, "Continuing one of music’s great about-turns, the undersung one-time misanthrope releases an album abundant in warmth and empathy.

Goldsmith also expressed, "While the album is intended as 10 individual slices of life, collective themes quickly emerge and turn it into more than the sum of its parts.

According to Vellucci, one of the biggest shortcomings of Gold Record is that it "makes the distance between Callahan's hangdog narration and the music that accompanies it all the more obvious and all the more a chasm.

"[24] In a more positive review for AllMusic, Heather Phares claimed that "Gold Record is especially satisfying for longtime fans as part of a bounty of great work from Callahan since his return, but there's plenty here to delight anyone who loves brilliant songwriting and down-to-earth performances.