[2] The AllMusic review by Thom Jurek stated: "It's simply instrumental, Americana-tinged rock with a smattering of jazz improvisation and other exotic touches woven in ...

[3] On All About Jazz, Gareth Thompson's review enthused: "Modern Lore seeks out the very foundations of rock music and digs deep ... Tagging this collection as some kind of 'jazz-rock' outing would be simplistic and gruff.

[4] On the same site Doug Collette said: "Modern Lore constitutes a measure of guitarist Julian Lage's grasp of the pragmatic values of a working musician ...

[5] Paste reviewer Robert Ham observed that "the result is a snappy, multi-colored affair that gives him ample room to show off his unmatched skills with his chosen instrument.

Elsewhere on the album, he and his band write songs that feel like adult contemporary pop hits just waiting for a vocalist to help take them to the charts ... Modern Lore even drops a little experimental number in the mix.

[8] In JazzTimes, Natalie Weiner wrote: "Lage’s 11 original compositions abstract some of the most iconic sounds in American music, with hints of rock, country and folk all coming through in his warm, intimate tone ... That is not to say the cozy result lacks urgency.