Blessed was met with widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 79, based on 24 reviews.[6]AllMusic rated the album 4 out of 5 stars, writing "Blessed is Williams' most focused recording since World Without Tears; it stands with it and her 1988 self-titled Rough Trade as one of her finest recordings to date. Its shift in lyric focus is amplified by the care and detail in the album's production and crackling energy. By deliberately shifting to a harder-edged roots rock sonic palette, Blessed moves Williams music down the road from the dead-end Americana ghetto without compromising her qualities as a songwriter or performer".[11] An enthusiast review from the Los Angeles Times called it "one of the best albums she’s ever released", stating "the dozen songs on the album tackle complicated emotions with a deft touch to create profoundly moving moments. Williams' writing on Blessed is seamless. The songwriter mixes it up with electric guitar songs, personalized protest songs, and touching, gorgeous ballads. Combined, the result is a dynamic, human album, one that’s easy to fall in love with."[8]
The Village Voice critic Robert Christgau rated the album B+, writing "Williams has always worked her drawl, but here the extended vowels and slurred consonants tempt one to suspect she's afraid 'We were blessed by the watchmaker/Who gave up his time' won't stand up straight next to 'We were blessed by the wounded man/Who felt no pain.' Unfortunately, it won't, and similar shortfalls cripple 'Soldier Song' just before. What makes me half believe I'll want to hear this album again is the drawn-out religious rumination 'Awakening', where vagueness signifies, and every solo Val McCallum gets. Atmospheric. Play loud anyway, so it won't be."[9]
