The Lookout is the tenth studio album by American folk musician Laura Veirs, released on April 13, 2018 by Raven Marching Band Records to a positive critical reception.

[7] Veirs' lyrical content is written in response to personal anxieties and insecurities[3][8] as well as the political climate after the 2016 United States presidential election[4] and the album is summed up with "Zozobra" as a hopeful song to provide solace to listeners.

[12] The editorial staff of AllMusic named this release among the best of 2018 and awarded it four out of five stars, with reviewer James Christopher Monger calling it "a sonically breezy yet lyrically bold amalgam of imagery-rich Pacific Northwest Americana, reverb-laden indie pop, and intimate electronics-tinged folk" that is "her most compelling set of material to date".

[24] Pablo Gorondi of the Associated Press summed up a positive review writing, "The excellent musicianship... expands the guitar/piano foundations to ideal degrees of sound, just as Veirs' details of scandal-free intimacy result in an album that’s exhaustively gratifying.

[14] Eugenie Johnson of Drowned in Sound gave the album seven out of 10, with a review that also points out Veirs' songwriting, with the ability to mix broad and political themes with personal experience.

[18] In musicOMH, Stephanie Flooks also gave the release four stars of five, summing up that The Outlook is what Veirs does best: "Instantly recognisable and comforting, she opens her personal world up as safe haven in these strange and noisy times, whilst still keeping you at arm's length, listening for secrets.

[28] Jon Putnam of The Line of Best Fit gave this release 7.5 out of 10, writing that "sturdy and insightful songs and its musical sparseness is surely designed in part to accentuate Veirs’ consummate songwriting".