5:30 Saturday Morning

Months prior to the album's release, Lennon was featured in the 2001 "Hot Issue" of Rolling Stone as well as the "New Faces" feature in Entertainment Weekly. In the former, she was praised as having "a penchant for bawdy lyrics and dark metal riffs". The album was also featured in the Autumn 2001 issue of ELLEgirl, as one of twelve records which three teen girls discussed; readers could also enter to win a copy of the album. Lennon toured as an opening act for the Cult during the West Coast portion of their 2001 tour, and was slated to later headline some dates herself.

In a review for the issue of Billboard dated September 15, 2001, contributor Christa Titus awarded the album the "critic's choice" designation, commending Lennon for "taking more musical chances on her debut than some seasoned artists have in their entire careers" and singling out "My Beautiful" as a standout track. MTV music critic Kurt Loder also favorably assessed the record, writing that it was "Refreshing to come across a teenage performer who isn't blonde, writes her own songs, plays an instrument, and kicks ass". Other critics were less favorable in their assessments. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, writing for AllMusic, designated it as an "Album Pick" from her discography, but also called it a "frankly bewildering blend of bad nu metal and singer/songwriter soul baring". Erlewine argued that "when she turns on attitude it's unconvincing" and that some of the album's emotional moments "get too heavy with sentiment and sediment". However, Erlewine singled out "Brake of Your Car" as a highlight of the album, calling it "a surging number with an undeniable hook" that showed Lennon's potential. A review for The A. V. Club, penned by Noel Murray, called Lennon's voice "nondescript", her songwriting "merely adequate", and her use of different musical styles "opportunistic and inorganic". A review printed in indie music publication Ink19 accused Lennon of seeming "fake" with her "badness" and warned that her image might alienate potential female fans.