[1] Billboard said, "It all adds up to a collection that successfully sets Hanson apart from the current teen-pop phenomenon that it helped start -- at least from a creative perspective,"[3] and CDNow said "This Time Around scores with more sophisticated harmonies and storytelling.

"[1] Rolling Stone said, "Like a blond three-headed hydra, Hanson loom over the competition, making all other teen idols sound like Gerber-sucking clowns.

"[7] AllMusic said, "It's hard not to miss the thrilling way Middle of Nowhere leapt out of the speakers upon its first spin with giddy fun, yet with its carefully considered craft and warmly ingratiating pop songs This Time Around is winning entertainment.

"[2] However, not everyone was complimentary about the change in musical style, with Robert Christgau of The Village Voice stating "If you thought they were bad when they were cute, or even that they were cute when they were good, believe me, you don't want to hear them mature,"[6] and NME with the even harsher verdict: "But damn those cruel hormones – Hanson's collective balls have MmmDropped, and the giddy rush of adolescence seeks to mutate Mercury's finest investment into a trio of crack-voiced hulks.

In some locales two additional hidden tracks, "Smile" and "Lonely Again", were also included in the foreign version of the CD.