Several of the songs ("Ooh Las Vegas", "The Way I Feel", "Marathon", and "Seventeen Seconds") on this collection were previously on B-sides or various artists compilations.

Cowboy Junkies have a history of incorporating covers into their repertoire, going back to their debut album, Whites Off Earth Now!!

[2] The editorial staff of AllMusic Guide scored this album 3.5 out of five stars, with reviewer Mark Deming pointing out the excellence of each band member and noting that they "have maintained a creative vision that's served them beautifully" that allows them to "find unexplored landscapes in the work of other tunesmiths".

[4] In Hot Press, Pat Carty noted the ability of Cowboy Junkies to reinterpret all of the songs and calls this album "a worthy endeavour".

rated Songs of the Recollection a seven out of 10 for the band putting "their stamp on iconic songs, transforming the music to match their signature style", calling it a "joy to listen to", but noting that "existing fans will love this about the album, but newcomers might be turned off by the uniform approach throughout".