Upon its release, Pickin' Up the Pieces charted at number one on Billboard's Top Heatseekers and received generally positive reviews from music critics.

[3] Having a hard time after the breakup, Fitzpatrick came to the conclusion that he needed to release the energy through creativity and get a focus and direction, for the sole purpose of distracting him from the discomfort.

[4] In late 2008, he received a call from the same ex-girlfriend, who demanded a rigid "no-talking" policy, to tell him about a neighbor who needed to unload a church organ for $50.

"[3] Fitzpatrick knew he wanted a horn section, and he called college friend and saxophonist James King, and the two immediately began working on early versions of the songs.

"[7] The ethic was running out of steam by the time they became one of the major buzz bands at 2010's SXSW, where they ran out of money and resources amid congratulations from fans.

[7] In April 2010, Dangerbird signed the group, who immediately announced the album title, Pickin' Up the Pieces, and a promise that it would deliver "a burst of effervescent swingers.

[10] Focusing on strong songwriting as his influences did, Fitzpatrick desired to achieve a collective energy with the new group, and set a goal to capture "even just a little bit" of the magic of Motown and Stax recordings.

[2] Its sound mostly comprises vintage organ, crisp drums, handclaps,[11] saxophone, which the band used as a substitute for guitar,[10] and aggressive vocals,[12] including passionate exhortations by Fitzpatrick.

[13] Mark Deming of Allmusic views that the album's music gravitates toward the "refined sounds of classic-era Motown, and the East Coast and Chicago styles that informed Northern soul," writing that, "while these songs show a strong and obvious influence of classic '60s soul, there's more than a dash of contemporary pop in the way the hooks make themselves felt, the stylish layers of backing vocals, and the occasional use of drum loops.

"[13] Jay Trachtenberg of The Austin Chronicle characterizes Fitzpatrick as a "blue-eyed soul" singer and adds that Noelle Scaggs "provides vocal fortification up front.

[21] AllMusic's Mark Deming called it a "solid album" and commended the band for "cut[ting] an impressive groove without cluttering up the arrangements or depending too strongly on their influences to convincingly conjure the sound of the classic era of soul.

"[2] Jonathan Donaldson of the Boston Phoenix commented that "Fitz[patrick] and dynamic co-vocalist Noelle Scaggs inject life and fun into the Tantrums' retro temptations".

[18] Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times felt that Fitzpatrick's "punky attitude ... makes the sound fresh" and stated, "There's a certain sameness to the songs' tempos and arrangements here, but in general the hooks catch and the energy feels genuine.

"[12] Alternative Press praised the "recording expertise" and "deceptively analog sound", writing that, "Sonically and lyrically, this is a pristine, soulful pop resurgence, without a moment of filler.