Nick Bollinger from New Zealand Listener said that "[In Swings the] Tide strikes a balance between the industry-standard pop of Thinking Room...and the introspection of 2005’s Stolen Hill." Taranaki Daily News' Felicity Rookes gave the album a positive review, commenting that "The intimate nature of the folksy tunes show how Moa has grown lyrically". Vicki Anderson of The Press lauded Moa's songwriting skills, noting the "honesty and rawness of expression and emotion" present on the album. She gave it a perfect score of five stars.
