[7] Butler wanted to express new things in the songs : "there are emotional fields I hadn’t ventured into previously [...] Destruction, rage, loss, but also redemption and journeying towards empowerment."

[10] Journalist Martin Aston noted that there were echoes of This Mortal Coil on the record, plus thudding drums which are traces of dark post-punk, which was one of the genres Butler listened to during his "traumatised teenage years".

[16] Reviewer Joe Muggs wrote that the album brought "stunning results", dealing with dark subjects such as "alienation, mistrust, violent homophobia, abuse, religious terror, war" but there was also "redemption, strength and love" inside the songs.

Muggs added that "the doomed and the hopeful are inseparable, and the tang of each is emphasised by the other ... and musically, the mood is just as finely balanced" before concluding "it’s a truly beautiful piece of work".

[21] Davies of Another Magazine wrote that "The best dance or electronic music often carries a melancholy" and In Amber sees Hercules and Love Affair pushing to new territory.

Music journalist Simon Heavisides praised the "spine tingling backing vocals from Icelander Elin Ey" on the single "One" and the songs featuring Anohni saying, "few singers could handle with the requisite gravity but at the same time convey the beauty within what may appear a stark lyric".

[17] Ken Scrudato wrote that the album was "a deeply reflective meditation" on troubling times, while nothing there was a "genuine optimism shining through the sonic solemnity" of the opening song "Grace".

[24] In a review rated 6.7 out of 10, Pitchfork wrote: "Stripping away the dancefloor euphoria of his most recognizable work, Andy Butler’s latest is a moody left-turn highlighted by some winning collaborations with Anohni".

[19] For AllMusic, Heather Phares claimed that it was, "thrilling to hear such unguarded yet exquisitely crafted confessions from Hercules & Love Affair as it was to have them transport listeners to dance floor nirvana.