[3] According to Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times, Plectrumelectrum is a rock album with lyrics and sound effects characteristic of Prince's "noble weirdness" and "sense of humor".

Club said that "it takes a no-nonsense approach to funk and for the most part plays near the shallow shores of rock 'n' roll's enormous waters.

"[12] Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly felt its hooks and band dynamic make it a better album than Art Official Age.

"[9] In a less enthusiastic review for The New York Times, Jon Pareles wrote that Plectrumelectrum is limited by its "rigorous, deliberately retro back-to-basics mandate" because Prince is better at synthesizing styles together rather than reproducing them.

[15] Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote in his review for AllMusic that the album does not try anything new, but called it "a quiet thrill to hear Prince spar with worthy partners, as he does throughout this record.