Hannah May Kilroy of Classic Rock gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, writing, "essentially Year of the Tiger sounds like Alter Bridge relocated to the deep south—if they swapped their hard rock riffs for bluesy twangs" and "the final message is one of finding hope in the darkness, and it’s evident that making Year of the Tiger has been a therapeutic experience for Kennedy and should be celebrated.

"[2] Cryptic Rock's Vito Lanzi gave the album a perfect 5-star rating, and commented that "with Year of the Tiger, Kennedy has really found his own individuality as a musician and is proud of his accomplishments.

"[5] Daily Express writer Paul Davies was also positive towards the album, concluding that "As though created from the confessional booth of inward reflection and conveyed with brutal honesty, Kennedy gloriously rides the tiger across all the tracks with emotional and musical aplomb.

"[6] Loudwire's Chad Childers described the album as "not a Slash rehash or Alter Bridge minus Mark Tremonti" but as "a stellar, more nuanced and autobiographical release that shows the singer as an artist taking a risk, being his most vulnerable while telling a deeply personal tale of a tragedy from his youth that influenced and informed the rest of his life."

"[1] The Arts Desk's Russ Coffey was more critical of the album, giving it a three out of five stars, adding up that "there are plenty for whom this kind of folky hard rock is the absolute last word in ghastliness.