The album is the band's first release since the inclusion of two new members, rhythm guitarist Benny Yurco and bassist Catherine Popper.

[11] Billboard magazine gave the album a positive review, stating that "Grace Potter & the Nocturnals' new self-titled release finds frontwoman Potter and her band in full bloom, hammering out hook-heavy rock tracks with a confident, natural sound.

"[12] Giving the album three out of five stars, Rolling Stone magazine comments, "Potter's youthfulness can make for flower-soup lyrics but backlit by a no-nonsense band that massages Memphis grooves, light rock and pinot-noir reggae, it all bursts with promise.

The Guardian remarks that "[g]enerally, the bluesy, Southernised rockers (Medicine, Only Love) make more of an impression than the power balladry (Colors), while an anomalous wallow in country-rock sentimentality (Things I Never Needed) feels like it was tacked on because they realised they needed a slow one.

"[13] All tracks are written by Grace Potter and Mark Batson, except where notedAdapted credits from the booklet.