According to the review aggregator Metacritic, The Omnichord Real Book received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 81 out of 100 from eight critic scores.[3] Editors at AllMusic rated this album 4.5 out of 5 stars, with critic Andy Kellman writing that the album has "a plenitude of supple rhythmic and ruminative vocal interplay".[5] Peter Quinn of The Arts Desk gives it 4 out of 5 stars, spotlighting several key tracks and calling this release "a treasure trove of musical memories".[6] At Exclaim!, Antoine-Samuel Mauffette Alavo gave this album an 8 out of 10, stating that Ndegeocello allows her collaborators to shine and that this release is "a very solid start to [her] tenure at Blue Note".[7] In Glide Magazine, Jim Hynes writes that "there's so much to digest here that we may hear it a bit differently each time it plays".[1]Louder Than War's Gordon Rutherford scores The Omnichord Real Book 4.5 out of 5 for "a host of outstanding collaborators" and music that is "indubitably special" and "defies classification" that displays Ndegeocello's "absolute virtuosity".[10] Writing for NPR, Nate Chinen calls this an "expansive yet interior new album" that explores "realness".[2] That outlet also highlighted this album as one of the five best releases of the week for All Songs Considered.[11] Writing for Pitchfork, Matthew Ismael Ruiz rated this album a 7.8 out of 10, calling it "a natural synthesis of the jazz, rock, dub, and soul" that is consistent with Ndegeocello's sound.[8] An 8 out of 10 came from Matthew Ruiz of PopMatters who called this music "stellar soul", which he compares to several styles but calls singularly Ndegeocello's own.[9]
Editors at NPR Music chose this among the 50 best albums of 2023 and further distinguished it for praise with a crown signifying that it was recommended "to anyone looking for a spark, or a slow burn".[12] Carl Wilson at NPR Music chose this to be among the 50 best albums of 2023.[12] This album was included in a list of 24 runners-up for the best albums of 2023 in Slate.[13] Editors at AllMusic included this on their list of the best albums of 2023[14] and among their favorite R&B albums of 2023.[15] Editors at online retailer Qobuz included this on their list of the best jazz albums of 2023.[16]