The Washington Post wrote that "Tsunami still doesn't compose outgoing melodies, but the band's control of mood and texture has become formidable."[7]CMJ New Music Monthly called the album "heady and beautiful," and praised Jenny Toomey's "rich, liquid voice."[8]Nashville Scene called the album the band's best, writing that "the instrumentation on A Brilliant Mistake is a remarkable achievement—an absorption of some of the prettier sounds of the 'post-rock' movement while retaining a fundamentally aggro-punk edge."[9]The Courier-Journal wrote that "Tsunami hasn't forgotten how to write challenging pop songs, and Toomey's voice remains one of indie rock's most beautiful instruments."[10]
