The album failed to chart in Canada or the United States, but the group had a sold-out tour, due to very positive reviews.

[4] The band consisted of Zumpano's Carl Newman, John Collins of The Evaporators, Dan Bejar of Destroyer, Limblifter's Kurt Dahle, filmmaker Blaine Thurier, and alternative country singer Neko Case.

[4] The group vocals at the end of "Breakin' the Law" are credited to the Camp Northstar Kids' Chorus, a reference to the Canadian comedy film Meatballs.

"[4] Tim DiGravina of AllMusic called Mass Romantic an album that "displays a decidedly power pop form of indie rock.

"[1] DiGravina noted comparison per individual song with "the Beatles ('The Mary Martin Show') to David Bowie ('The Slow Descent into Alcoholism') to T.Rex ('Mystery Hours') to Todd Rundgren ('The Fake Headlines').

"[1] Jim Caliguiry of The Austin Chronicle noted, "They borrow from Cheap Trick, the Beach Boys, Big Star, Roxy Music, Buzzcocks, and Robyn Hitchcock".

The tour presented problems, including throat damage, broken-down buses, and having to take expensive cab rides.

[4] Mass Romantic was well received in the band's native Canada, where it won a Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year.

[17] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received a score of 87, indicating "universal acclaim".

"[1] Laura Morgan of Entertainment Weekly called it "an insanely contagious concoction of new wave, Cheap Trick, and garage-glam pandemonium" and "a perfect pop album.

"[18] Douglas Wolk of Rolling Stone described Mass Romantic as "a striking power-pop album, forty staggeringly catchy minutes of four-part harmonies and Wall of Sound production, exploding with energy and joy",[7] while the Alternative Press called the album a "masterful reproduction of underground power pop ca.

[10] Tim Caligiuri of The Austin Chronicle stated that "Mass Romantic is the type of album nobody makes anymore.

Pitchfork rated it the ninth best album of 2001, stating, "Energetic, smooth, and masterfully executed, Mass Romantic is the catchiest thing to come out in ages.