Big White Lies

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[9]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide	[5]
Rolling Stone	[10]

Trouser Press deemed the album "an essential pop treasure from one of the most talented auteurs to come along in ages."^[11] The San Francisco Chronicle called the songs "a wealth of lovely melodies, hook-laden harmonies and chiming 12-string guitars."^[12]

The Gavin Report stated that the "instantly accessible power pop appeals to ... ears in the same way Big Star or the Beatles do."^[13] Rolling Stone labeled the album "fun," and wrote that "among the better tracks are 'Mindreader', 'On My Hands', 'Dream Away' and the title track."^[10]

AllMusic wrote: "Not quite powerful enough to fall cleanly into the 'power pop' camp, the songs lean more to the spectrum's lush, highbrow end, with elegant guitar lines, soaring harmonies, and occasional use of organ, strings, and French horn."^[9]

In 2003, PopMatters noted that, "to this day, many cite his hook- and harmony-filled 1994 release Big White Lies as the quintessential power pop album."^[14] John Borack, in 2007's Shake Some Action – The Ultimate Guide to Power Pop, listed Big White Lies as the sixth best power pop album of all time.^[15]