A retrospective article by Joseph Neff of The Vinyl District describes Why Can't We Live Together as "a pretty strong and rather underrated LP," writing that "the spare aura and the sound of that drum machine actually manage to conjure the sound of post-punk," highlighting the intro of "Funky Me" in particular for resembling Manchester post-punk, while feeling "the way the rhythms and the organ intertwine throughout the LP can give off hints of Yo La Tengo circa And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out." Reinforcing past criticisms, Andrew Hamilton of AllMusic describes the majority of album as "almost as sparse" as "Why Can't We Live Together," which he describes as "the cheapest Top Ten hit ever made," but criticises the album for being "forgettable" outside its title track, noting: "If you like a lot of production, you won't find it here."
