The Allmusic review noted that "Amy Ray and Emily Saliers continue to hone their signature lush melodies ....

The Indigo Girls are no longer afraid to hit upon past relationships and personal emotion.

Saliers and Ray's incredible harmonies are most stylish .... [b]ut the duo also move beyond the sweet and tender by dipping into darker realms ....

[7] Vernon has written that Swamp Ophelia was one of his sister Kim's favorite albums, and after she urged him to listen to it, it became one of his as well.

The British mother-and-daughter folk duo Chris and Kellie While covered "Power of Two" on their self-titled 2004 album.