Michael Berick, who reviewed the album for AllMusic, called it "a refreshing slice of traditional honky tonk enlivened with a dollop of rock & roll energy[…]She has a strong idea of who she is as a singer and performer, and her instincts are proven correct on this impressive effort.

"[3] Country Standard Time critic Stuart Munro gave a favorable review as well, noting the mix of material on the album, and describing Sweeney's voice as being "full of sass and syrupy twang.

"[5] Jeff McCord of Texas Monthly wrote that: "There aren't many practitioners left of this kind of music—unadorned instrumentation augmented by pedal steel, pronounced rural accents that turn words like "well" into three syllables—which makes this gem of an album so refreshing.

"[6] A writer for No Depression found Sweeney's original tracks "focused, if slightly less catchy" than her covers, but felt "it's her vocals that'll catch you by the throat", saying, "Not many debut discs sound this confident, poised, and excited.

"[8] Jim Caligiuri of The Austin Chronicle praised the album's "impeccable" production but was critical of the songs, saying there were "already definitive versions" of "East Texas Pines" and "If I Could" but found "Next Big Nothing" to be "a two-stepper's delight," and "Lavender Blue" had "the right tinge of sorrow", concluding that "Sweeney isn't much of a writer – yet – but it's obvious she possesses plenty of talent to be shaking things up for a long time.