He wrote, "Grant's poetic lyrics don't squander a syllable, and with a dark night of the soul here and a sustaining epiphany there, much of what he conveys is a bit like life.

"[8] Gary Crossing of Dotmusic described the album as a "romantic, life-affirming collection, awash with warm, gentle and spacious country-tinged rock tunes" and "laid-back, reflective, painstakingly crafted and tenderly touching".

He praised Grant's "rich, dark and velvety croon" for "having seldom sounded better" and added that "crisp acoustic strumming, lush strings, lonely bar-room piano and subtle brass are the order of the day here".

[7] Neil Spencer of The Observer felt that Malcolm's mixing had resulted in "something of the Blue Nile's slow, swooning style" to be found on the album, but added "Grant's rich tenor voice and stoic outlook is his own".

He noted the wide variety of styles, with the material "nod[ding] variously towards country, AOR, kitsch, Tin Pan Alley", as well as Matt Johnson on "Blood Is Sweeter Than Honey".