Ashes & Dust was met with generally positive reviews from music critics. Thom Jurek of AllMusic said, "While Ashes & Dust doesn't really add anything "new" to Haynes' musical profile—fans already knew this was here—there are some fine benchmarks: his singing has never used such a range of dynamics before; for once he lets the song dictate his expression. Others are tight songwriting and arranging craft—especially when fleshed out by the almost limitless creativity of Railroad Earth. Ashes & Dust is a worthy and welcome addition to Haynes' catalog."[2] Jonathan Frahm of PopMatters said, "Someone most widely known by a wide margin for his work as a rocker, Haynes shows off his Americana side in just as seamlessly great a manner as he had any other performance in the past. In doing so, he simultaneously proves his prowess as a competent musician given any platform to toy with, and that labels in the first place might just be rather confounded."[4] Matt Bauer of Exclaim! said, "Overall, Ashes And Dust is undeniable proof of Warren Haynes' growth as a songwriter and an affirmation of his continuing successful eclecticism."[3]
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