Listeners in the 21st century often interpret Village Green as applying to modern issues. Relevant themes include disparaging the increasing modernisation of cities and destruction of "little shops",; . satirising those who photograph mundane moments, exploring the emptiness of celebrity culture and being suggestive of environmentalism. Jeff Slate of Esquire magazine writes that while some late 1960s records have come to sound dated, Village Green has remained modern sounding and accessible decades after its release, something he attributes to its simple and straightforward arrangements. Adding to its success, he writes, was the band's collaborative nature during its recording and their retention of some of their original garage rock sound. Michael Gallucci of the website Ultimate Classic Rock similarly writes that Village Green has maintained relevance decades after its release by sounding "both timeless and of its time", its pastoral sounds partly originating from the Summer of Love while its exploration of music hall and Victorian mores being part of a broader yearning for the English tradition. Morgan Enos of Billboard writes that rather than being bitter or anachronistic, the album's tracks "burst with unique, giddy joy", only becoming more relevant in the "more crowded, convoluted and bleak" 21st century.
