[9] Robert Christgau wrote that "the riddims skip by on Dennis Bovell's ska-speedy tempos, graced with tricky guitar hooks and colored with fiddle and accordion that sing Hungary and Algeria and Colombia and the Rio Grande.

"[11] The Los Angeles Times lamented that "Johnson’s delivery is both tentative and buried a bit in the mix, lessening the impact.

"[7] The Orlando Sentinel opined that "Johnson's thoughtful lyrics float over gorgeous elongated reggae tracks flavored with jazz-influenced horns, accordion, piano, violin and flute.

"[13] The Commercial Appeal noted that Johnson's "spry quips and brusque cadences [ride] over tough rhythms.

"[14] Trouser Press deemed Tings an' Times "an upbeat but stringently critical album that is at once traditional and modern.