[6] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic rates the album four stars conveying: "Kill the Lights winds up feeling happy and generous, an inclusive record that plays to teenage desires as effectively as memories of an adolescence left behind.

"[8] Brian Mansfield rates the album three stars out of four at USA Today proffering: "The hits are fine, but that's the guy who's really worth getting to know.

"[16] Maura Johnston gives the album a positive review on behalf of The Boston Globe suggesting: "Bryan might have broken up with spring break, but crashing pop's party will probably offer him just as good a time.

"[17] The Oakland Press's Gary Graff rates the album a B submitting: "Bryan has found his lane, and he doesn't mess with it on 'Kill The Lights,' a characteristically likable collection of friendly come-ons, lost love laments and sentimental odes to gravel roads and car rides to the nearest big town...It's solid from start to finish, refining what fans know and, mostly, love about Bryan's music and ensuring that his career lights will continue to shine for the foreseeable future.

"[12] Dave Heaton rates the album a seven for PopMatters espousing: "So bro-country this is, in that the women are shadows and might be figments of the man's imagination.

"[13] Entertainment Weekly's Madison Vain rates the album a B asserting: "Considering Crash's success, messing with the formula on Kill the Lights would be a calculated risk.

"[9] The magazine Nash Country Weekly's Bob Paxman rates the album a B claiming: "Kill the Lights isn't consistently pleasing, but it does represent a progression and evolution from Luke's previous material.

"[14] The publication Spin rates the album a six out of ten, and has Brad Shoup claiming: "Kill the Lights sees him both at an apex and a crossroads".

[15] Jim Faber rates the album two stars for the New York Daily News criticizing: "He serves up several ballads, which salute hunting, fishing, and scarecrows...None are particularly convincing, given the anchor-man blandness of Bryan's vocals.

"[21] Upon its release, Kill the Lights and Compton by Dr. Dre were poised to make their entries at the top of the US Billboard 200 chart; each of those has sold over 300,000 units.