Gumption (album)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[7]
Chicago Tribune	[11]
Robert Christgau	[12]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[13]
Los Angeles Daily News	[14]
MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide	[15]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[16]

The Gazette deemed the album "a tribute to the diversity of Jamaican reggae styles, from ska and rock steady, to lover's rock, roots and dancehall... It's a richly melodic, uplifting set from start to finish, spearheaded by the bold and caring vocals of a reggae veteran."^[17] The Chicago Tribune concluded that, "while not as aggressively 'dancey' as some material now in the marketplace, parts of Gumption are indeed given a 'synthetic' shading by electronic drum beats—although that's generally balanced by a more 'human,' emotional feeling stemming from ebullient melodies and Wailer's warm vocals."^[11] The Los Angeles Daily News noted that "the majority of tracks here are lackluster and say nothing new rhythmically."^[14]

AllMusic wrote that "Wailer uses simplicity to great advantage... His consistency is a thing to admire."^[7]