Bashed Out was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 75 based on eight reviews indicating a generally favorable response.[2] The aggregator AnyDecentMusic? has the critical consensus of the album at a 7.2 out of 10, based on eight reviews.[1]
Paul Faller of Drowned in Sound praised the album, stating "this album ought to see Kate Stables recognized as one of the most compelling voices in alt-folk".[3] Andrew Hannah of The Line of Best Fit said, "It's hard to find fault with Bashed Out; timeless and completely modern all at once, Stables might have taken a little bit of time to hit her stride with This Is The Kit but this combination of players has helped her realise a vision of sorts: it's as lucid a record as you'll hear all year".[4] Fiona Sturges of Uncut said, "It's an understated yet absorbing work, full of delicate arrangements that are elegantly swept along by Stables' gloriously tender vocals".[9] Writing for Pitchfork, Stephen Deusner said, "These new songs don’t sound terribly different from Stables’ first recordings nearly a decade ago, but the music is bolder and more purposeful, with a broader, richer palette of sounds".[7] Graeme Marsh of musicOMH said, "Whether or not it's enough to push Stables into a more prominent place, however, remains to be seen, but surely a wider acknowledgement of her prowess can’t be far away".[5] Matthew Horton of NME said, "The assembled talent takes This Is The Kit's traditional folk to the edge of the avant-garde".[6]
In a mixed review, John Aizlewood of Q said, "For much of Bashed Out, emotion is shown rather than told, but once the layers have been unpicked, it's obviously special".[8]
