John Leland of Trouser Press described the band as an "unpretentious lot" in the vein of Hüsker Dü who "opened up punk structures with distorted, ringing guitar, some off-kilter rhythms and ... a neanderthal, propulsive attack to fundamentally poppy songs.
"[2] Man Sized Action was formed by vocalist Patrick Woods, guitarist Tom "Tippy" Roth, bassist Kelly Linehan, and drummer Tony Pucci, all part of the same punk-rock scene that spawned Hüsker Dü.
He called Five Story Garage an improvement, saying that it "generates a surge of momentum that threatens to explode its punky pop hooks, making the album fast, powerful and surprisingly accessible.
"[1] Writing in the zine Matter, Albini criticized Claustrophobia as "raw and thin", lacking depth, but praised the record's "huge killer songs with balls as big as houses treading the water between Mekons/Fall-styled practiced amateurishness and Joy Division/Wire-styled controlled creepiness.
"[5] Jim Fitzsimons of the Tampa Bay Times praised the band's "swirling guitars and driving beat", calling the two albums "good ol' Minneapolis do-it-yourself punk rock.