[1] AbsolutePunk's Craig Manning said of Young Love that it "will reach the same level for me as the other two, but for now, it stands as one of my favorite records in what has been an extraordinarily strong year for music, and a big part of the soundtrack to my summer.
"[2] Allmusic's Jared Johnson said of Young Love that it "could be considered his arrival record, finding the right flavor of hip-hop, adult alternative, and classic storytelling...comes off much like the opening weeks of a relationship, where moments bounce between earnest and playful, heavy and light, but each ultimately memorable in its own way...a noteworthy release that reveals more layers the longer you listen.
"[3] Alt Rock Live's Jonathan Faulkner said that it "may go down in history as being one of his best ever"[4] CCM Magazine's Matt Conner said' "the one element that separates Mat Kearney from the typical troubadour pack is his affinity for rap, hip-hop, and groove-induced arrangements, which blends tightly with sparse sound and his spiritually-charged songwriting...[and] Young Love [was] (a title inspired by his recent marriage).
"[7] Christianity Today's Ron Augustine said "the singer-songwriter attains his highest production values yet, resulting in a summer record that people of all ages and faiths can enjoy.
"[10] Jesus Freak Hideout Nathaniel Schexnayder said it "works just fine in its own niche, I can’t help but wonder how the final result would have sounded if the album would have featured a little more the very best of what Kearney offered on previous efforts.
"[11] Louder Than the Music's Jono Davies said "The press release for this album intrigued me with the comment 'After becoming a licensed cab driver in hometown, Nashville, Tennessee, Kearney found lyrical inspiration for Young Love through the conversations he had with passengers.'
"[12] New Release Tuesday's Kevin Davis said it is "revisiting the heavy grooves, spoken word, and sing-able choruses fans came to love from sophomore-release, Nothing Left To Lose...[and Young Love] is a great listen...If you like the musical styles of Brandon Heath and Matthew West, you'll like the musical style of this album, but lyrically it is much more like The Fray and Jack Johnson.
"[14] New Release Tuesday's Kevin McNeese said it "is filled with many musical moments that are hard to ignore...as the title suggests, revisits a time of falling in love.
A time filled with butterflies, happiness, discovery, innocence and more, reflecting Mat's own life of recently getting married...Lyrically, the album is wonderful but like Owl City, there's not a ton of spiritual take away here.
"[15] Rolling Stone's Monica Herrera said it "gets back to the percussive, reggae-lite ditties that went missing on his last album...[and] the genre-mixing doesn't always work...[but] with melodies this hummable, though, Kearney should be soundtracking another Grey's Anatomy scene in no time.