The album got praise from music critics, and this is reflective in its Metascore of an 84 from Metacritic, which means "acclaim". This album got four stars by Stephen Thomas Erlewine at AllMusic, and according to him "it will linger for some time to come."[2] The three and a half star review from Rolling Stone's Jonathan Bernstein, he remarks how its an "impressive solo debut".[9] There was a four star rating granted to the album from Neil Spencer of The Observer, revealing he felt "Presley's vocal and lyrical touch are exceptional on an impressive state-of-the-nation album."[7] They gave the album five stars at The Daily Telegraph, Martin Chilton believing "the musicianship is top notch."[6] The four star review delivered from Billboard's Elias Leight is for "a focused collection of songs."[3] The Uncut magazine rated the album an eight out of ten because "Presley has a wry, modern take on country music."[11] In Cuepoint, Robert Christgau called it a "moderately astonishing bunch of songs" on which "she sings pretty as you please."[4] The eight out of ten rating bestowed on the release from Anthony Easton at PopMatters is in response to "the corruption and failure of the market rotting from the bottom and squeezing from the top, is profoundly realized here."[8] Stuart Henderson rates the album a nine out of ten for Exclaim! because "this debut is about as accomplished as one could reasonably expect."[5] The Tampa Bay Times grants the release an A, and Sean Daly sees how "she has a persistent knack for showmanship, small scenes but grand gestures."[10]The New York Times declares "American Middle Class, her debut album, comes fully formed, clear about its purpose."[12]
[2]
