[Fetch The Bolt Cutters]

Critical reception

The album received critical acclaim from music critics upon release. Allmusic's Matt Collar stated "Definitely an ear-grabber, Listen Up! ultimately posits Reinhart as a kind of old-school pinup, a mini-Mariah Carey if she'd grown up listening to a mix of Dusty Springfield, Lisa Stansfield, and En Vogue.", and gave the album a rating of 3.5 stars out of 5. He chose the songs "Oh My!", "Liar" and "Now That You're Here" as highlights.[12] Brian Mansfield from USA Today gave the album a positive review, stating "Listen Up! -- out May 22 -- draws heavily on the neo-soul and girl-group R&B of artists like Adele, Duffy and the late Amy Winehouse. But Haley puts her distinctive twists on the genre, and fans of the Illinois singer likely will be thrilled with the way Listen Up! turned out." He picked the songs "Free", "Now That You're Here" and "Oh My!" as highlights.[13] Rick Florino of Artist Direct gave the album a rating of 4 stars out of 5, and said "Start listening now because Haley Reinhart has made one of the best debuts of 2012, and she might just help revive a little old soul in the process."[14] Barry Walters from Spin Magazine gave the album a 7/10, stating "Thank Adele for an Idol album with depth. Thank Winehouse for dusty soul. Thank Reinhart for the pipes."[15] Grady Smith of Entertainment Weekly gave the album a "B+" grade, and said "With a voice that flips from belt-clear lilt to throaty belt in an instant, Idol's season 10 growler sounds right at home (although occasionally way overproduced) among the blasting horns on her jazzy debut. The disc's retro sound half is a pure funky delight."[16] John Caramanica from The New York Times gave the album a "B" grade, and said "It’s convincing and fresh. In a sense, this is what Cowell’s “Idol” had long been advocating — a return to standards and classic pop modes. It’s unfashionable and a bit out of touch, and what a smart thing that turns out to be."