The album was met with widespread acclaim by music critics, with the aggregating website Metacritic calculating an average score of 93 out of 100.

[6] All songs written, composed and performed by The Menzingers Pre-orders of the album included a cassette titled On the Possible Past, which contains demos recorded during the winter and spring of 2011.

[6] AllMusic writer Gregory Heaney awarded the album four stars out of five and praised its "wryly nostalgic performance, giving a nod to their punk roots as they embrace the rugged earnestness of the Rust Belt with songs about broken hearts, loneliness, and self-doubt.

"[3] Thomas Nassiff of AbsolutePunk called the album "sweeping, driven, masterful" as he scored it a near-perfect 9.5/10.

"[2] Steve Lepore of PopMatters called the album "an impeccably crafted melodic hardcore record by a group ready for its close-up.