[16] Damien Morris of The Observer gave a two-out-of-five star review, describing the group's music as, "instantly memorable yet completely forgettable", comparing the album to US President Donald Trump, "shallow, always betraying its influences, with a third-grade vocabulary and ambition that runs no further than emptying the nearest wallet.

"[20] In Entertainment Weekly, Barry Walters highlighted the duo's commercial success, describing their style as, "smoothed-out, mid-tempo, nearly easy-listening formula", but opined it sounds, "as if you're playing the radio instead of one solitary album".

"[23] On AllMusic, Neil Yeung also gave a two-out-of-five star review, calling Memories...Do Not Open a, "calculated dose of millennial escapism that peddles the same sounds as their far more engaging EP work.

[26] Philip Sherburne of Pitchfork claimed that, "The debut album from the celebrity production duo is a somber departure from their EDM days—a lifeless, anodyne pop record that wallows in basic feelings of regret and narcissism.

[21] Jon Caramanica from The New York Times called the album a "savvy success that cannily toys with expectations" with its songs veering from the "usual gut punch" approach for its drops, but felt that the record is a "meaningless concept" in the "big-festival dance music" where the duo thrived in.

He also commented on Taggart's "capable but unexciting" vocal performance and his "shockingly" few lyrical ideas, with most of the album's songs "[moaning] about brittle young relationships".

[27] Jordan Sargent of Spin observed the monotony of the record, stating: "The Chainsmokers have one song, and if you don’t want to hear 12 versions of it, please do not un-click the latch holding this box closed."

He noted Taggart's "unique" vocal accessibility for listeners, but felt that his charm dissipated as the album wears on which resulted in a "series of songs that bleed endlessly into each other".