A post-punk album with classic rock and Britpop influences,[1][2] Seek Shelter experiments with diverse sounds that recalls the music of the Pogues, the Replacements, the Rolling Stones, and the Velvet Underground.

[9] Pitchfork writer Stuart Berman selected Seek Shelter as one of the best rock records of its release week, and wrote that it "completes [Iceage]'s transformation from grim-faced nihilists to wearied soothsayers" while also retaining their "restless spirit".

[1] Labelling it as "a rollercoaster ride of diverse influences", Joe Goggins from DIY commended the experimentation with eclectic sounds and "earnest" lyricism.

[12] Lizzie Manno of Paste lauded Rønnenfelt's lyricism which she described as "evocative yet elusive" and felt "deliberately impressionistic", calling the album "a statement of tireless reinvention".

[15] NME's Patrick Clarke viewed it as "a record overflowing in grandeur, a vast emotional release after a decade spent coiled like a spring".