[3] In an interview with The Aquarian Weekly, Adam Bird recalls the concept of making a record about a "relationship that this girl named Penny had with the devil.

[4] It also received heavy rotation from the radio station WRAT, and was included on The Village Voice's annual Pazz and Jop ballot.

[5][6] A review by Speak Into My Good Eye says Penny the Dreadful is "a rock and roll record that achieves a pretty impressive combination between leveraging the sounds that have launched several big-name bands to commercial success and not pandering, musically or lyrically, to the lowest common denominator.

"[3] fakewalls writes that the album features "ten tracks that easily veer from soft, lush coffee shop atmospheres to grandiose stadium-like altitudes."

"[7] Tris McCall writes "if you like hard rock, if you kinda miss grunge, if you've got a soft spot for MCR, if you're an eensy-weensy bit steampunk, if you've got a deal with the Devil going or if you're itching to sign one, Penny the Dreadful is an album worth engaging with.