[6] Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Timothy Monger claimed; "On Workin', the veteran singer/songwriter returns to her country gospel wheelhouse with renewed purpose to deliver a collection that is as timely as it is timeless.

In a broad sense, she has made a protest album, one which speaks to present-day issues (gun violence, police brutality, climate change) in a way that inspires activism rather than despair.

[2] Stephen Deusner profiled the musician for The New York Times upon release and characterizes this as "an album about DeMent’s ongoing quest to find her place, about passing the wisdom of the generation that came before her to the one that follows" and "full of what might be called marching songs, which are meant to inspire listeners, to show them the hard road ahead and to spur them along".

[4] Editors of Rolling Stone highlighted this release with the Hear This branding and critic Jonathan Bernstein wrote that her music has "rarely felt so urgent" and while the singer "is bold enough to risk corniness" in exploring genuine political conviction, "these messages of spirit-rising and movement-building feel less like MSNBC screeds than warm invitations toward a righteous calling".

All songs written by Iris DeMent, except where noted "Workin' on a World" "Goin' Down to Sing in Texas" "Say a Good Word" "The Sacred Now" "I Won't Ask You Why" "Warriors of Love" "Let Me Be Your Jesus" "The Cherry Orchard" "Nothin' for the Dead" "Mahalia" "How Long" "Walkin' Daddy" "Waycross, Georgia" Technical personnel