[6] Filter gave the album a score of 82 out of 100 and said, "Flourishes of horns add to the traditional band instrumentation, giving Bragg a solid foundation on which to convey his message.

"[17] Billboard gave the album a favorable review and said of Bragg, "Whether you prefer him shouting vitriol on the picket line or whispering sweet nothings in the bedroom, you'll find plenty to enjoy here.

"[19] The Boston Globe likewise gave it a favorable review and stated, "Bragg colors his brilliant Cockney-accented discourse with Appalachian folk on the Woody Guthrie-influenced 'O Freedom,' where he protests, 'Freedom, what liberties are taken in thy name?'

"[20] The Phoenix gave the album three stars out of four and said it isn’t without its misfires [...] but it is Bragg’s most assured statement since hooking up with Wilco a decade ago to give life to lost Woody Guthrie lyrics.

"[23] BBC Music gave the album a mixed review and said it was "not at all bad, but compared to Bragg's own Talking with the Taxman About Poetry or Workers Playtime it doesn't fare at all well.

"[24] Now gave the album two stars out of five and said that it "finds [Bragg] in his comfort zone provided by the Blokes and producer Grant Showbiz under yet another title copped from novelist Colin MacInnes.