[1] "The book of Genesis story about Jacob's dream of a ladder leading up to heaven during a flight from his brother Esau provides the inspirational thrust for the album.

[3][11] The JazzTimes reviewer wrote: "Prog’s conceptualism pairs well with the multiple directions Mehldau pursues in this incredible work of modern spiritual reflection".

[11] For John Fordham, the "panoramic soundscape, storyteller's control of dynamics, and canny use of guest players [...] show how far Mehldau has come as a sophisticated manipulator of complex materials".

[3] Ivan Hewett writing for The Daily Telegraph commented, "As always with Mehldau ambition often tips over into pretentiousness, but one forgives him because there’s a real musical sensibility at work.

When complication drops away towards the close, signalling a return to primal innocence, we catch a glimpse of that sensibility in some beautifully simple piano improvisations.