A reaction against what MacKaye had perceived to be the commercialization of rock music driven by the industry's "idea of youth", the album's "post-post-hardcore" sound is more stripped-down, minimal and personal in comparison to his work with Fugazi.

Much of the praise (and criticism) centered around the duo's sound, performances and songwriting, with publications such as Pitchfork and Cokemachineglow considering the album to be an impressive and even "vital" debut.

The clip fueled furthered rumors of Fugazi's breakup amid their hiatus, whilst resulting in speculation as to MacKaye's new musical direction.

[1][2] Rob Theakston notes that he "provides quiet, contemplative harmonies only hinted at briefly in latter-day Fugazi material" (citing "Pink Frosty" and "I'm So Tired" as points of comparison).

[1] Matthew Murphy called the album MacKaye's most "laid-back" and "personal" work till date, noting a "disarming sweetness" in the music brought about by his "particularly appealing" vocal delivery.

[3] Many have also noted Amy Farina's "angular" and "wildly inventive" drumming and vocal harmonies,[2][1][6] a Tiny Mix Tapes reviewer finding that the former drove most of the songs, especially on tracks such as "Around the Corner".

[6] Her vocals, displaying a "strange mix of fragility and strength", have also earned comparisons to "early-90s [...] femme-led indie outfits like Tsunami and Scrawl" as well as Mimi Parker, with her more subdued drumming on tracks such as "Sara Lee" and "Minding One's Business" casting them in "Tortoise-like post-rock hues".

"[1] The personal is political[9] lyrics to the opening track "Shelter Two" explore the minutiae of a new relationship and "crucial, seemingly trivial moments that so often comprise the highlights of our lives" through a "trip to the hardware store".

[8] "Around the Corner"'s lyrics deal with preserving one's youthful beliefs and ideals as one grows older,[8] while songs such as "On the Face of It" and the closing track "You Won't Feel a Thing" offer "vague warnings about capitalism" and tackle "modern-day propaganda ministers" respectively.

[1] "Ultimately," writes Matthew Murphy for Pitchfork, "this eponymous debut not only introduces the Evens as a wholly distinct and vital group, but also contains performances that MacKaye would likely have been unable to deliver in any other context.

[4] According to Todd Burns, writing for Stylus, the album "sees one side of the Fugazi sound being completely fleshed out and it’s a beautiful thing to hear.