Of Rilo Kiley's albums, Take Offs and Landings contains the most songs sung by band member Blake Sennett, who sings lead on "August", "Small Figures in a Vast Expanse", "Rest of My Life", and a hidden track.

[4] In a 20th-anniversary retrospective, Stereogum's Abby Jones wrote that Landings "isn't the best album Rilo Kiley ever made", as they were "still zeroing in on their sound" at the time.

She called it "a treat to hear them start to get there" though, praising "Lewis and [Blake] Sennett's proficiency in indie rock" reflected through its "melting pot" of musical styles.

Jones also argued for both Landings and Kiley's recognition within emo music's canon, despite attracting the same fans of their "similarly sullen" peers like Bright Eyes and Death Cab for Cutie.

The site's Quinn Moreland recognized its status as "an undeniable classic" and praised Kiley's use of indie pop in making "candid and often devastating observations about longing, insecurities, and the uncertainties of young adulthood."