[1] The title for Phillips' tenth album is inspired by the words of his young daughter as she once screamed "Come on lightning, show us your stuff" while thrusting a branch at the night sky.

I'll admit it's that nagging tendency to question everything that inspires a song like 'Drawing the Head' and even when I'm writing through the voice of a character, as I am with 'Straight to the Ground'.

[3] Lee Zimmerman, of American Songwriter, said, "It is, in short, an album for the ages, and a record that's representative of Phillips in all his prolific prowess.

"[4] Mojo gave the album a 4 star review, saying, "Phillips' latest beguiles with all the wiles of a master songwriter...A late-onset triumph.

"[5] Daniel Kohn, of Spin, said that in "Lightning, Show Us Your Stuff, his 10th studio album, [Phillips] continues to build on his gentle songwriting that’s defined his career.”[6] AllMusic gave Phillips' album 3.5/5 stars while saying, "Lightning Show Us Your Stuff doesn't feel like one of the truly great albums in Grant-Lee Phillips's catalog, but it's certainly a very good one, and any artist who can reliably turn out music this smart, impassioned, and well-crafted is someone who more than deserves a larger audience.