The album incorporated a variety of music styles based on its members, including punk rock, funk, and soul; it was mastered and mixed to have a "more human" and "organic" sound.

Critics welcomed the album, praising its crisp production and forward-thinking sound within post-hardcore, with Metacritic giving an aggregate rating of "universal acclaim".

[3] Music journalist Andrew Kelham wrote that the era these "raw hardcore punk" records were produced in was plagued by "potential [that] was never realised as an ever-revolving door of musicians cause the band to limp through Jason's late teens and early twenties.

The styles were their most expansive to date,[9] and came from the diversity of their members: Butler had involved himself in the punk rock skateboarding culture when he was eleven, but had also been influenced by his father, who was in a soul band.

[15] After going through ten sound engineers, they went with Stephen George, whom Sahyoun said "just added little diamonds and made it pop", so the album sonically reminded them of their influences.

[12] The Blackest Beautiful was described as a post-hardcore record, much like its predecessors,[18][19][20][21] from "screaming rage to tight, sophisticated harmonies to frenzied funky riffing to emotively melodic parts".

[18] Mike Diver of Clash considered it a pop record with clear, melodic structure,[22] while others grouped it with punk rock,[3][6][23] soul,[24] and funk, as well as displaying 'glimpses' of other music styles including Afrobeat, electronica and jazz.

[19] James McMahon described the album as being "dragged through the civil rights movement, through 80s New York block parties, through the birth of hip-hop, funk, jazz and soul.

[6] Letlive's ferocity and use of dynamics have led critics to draw comparisons to rock bands Glassjaw, At the Drive-in, Refused, Black Flag and Deftones.

[18][19][20][21][24] Bezer cited three albums as primary influences on The Blackest Beautiful: Raised Fist's Veil of Ignorance and its "tempo changes, fury and non-stop fire"; Prince's Love Symbol Album and funk style; and Public Enemy's It Takes A Nation Of Millions for its confrontational and "fight for what's right" lyrics.

Appeal to the natural rhythm of the head bob, the beating of the heart, the tap of the foot; just find that area and utilize it properly and say something.

[19] The tracks "Younger" and "The Dope Beat" were listed as examples of the band's "staggering dynamics, brain-burrowing melodies and intelligent production tricks".

[17] "Pheromone Cvlt" showed the band's "blend of deranged hardcore and aching soul";[24] Bezer wrote that the track possesses 'Prince levels of funked up cool'.

[20] The album's lyrics are described as 'politically, socially and personally conscious',[25] incorporating themes such as corporate greed, racism and growing up in a broken home.

And then imagine walking up in the middle of the night while they're asleep and feeling compelled to write a song about how you don't know what the fuck it means to be in love.

"[6] The band toured the United Kingdom and Ireland in October, playing songs from both Fake History and The Blackest Beautiful.

[10][30] At Clwb Ifor Bach, Quench magazine writer Jack Glasscock said that they are "without doubt, the most exhilarating live band around" with their primal and engaging front-man Butler,[32] Kerrang!

[34] In February and March 2014, the band supported Bring Me the Horizon for their Sempiternal album, joining groups Of Mice & Men and Issues on The American Dream Tour.

editor James Mcmahon gave the album five out of five "K"s, classing The Blackest Beautiful as a "classic", praising the inclusion of producers Kit Walters and Stephen George.

[19] Chris Hidden of Rock Sound also gave a nine out of ten, calling it a "bold record" and highlighting its fusion of "staggering dynamics, brain-burrowing melodies and intelligent production".

[26] Although Mike Diver of Clash Music liked the album overall, he said that "Pheromone Cvlt" was "placid" and "Virgin Dirt" was "losing sting".