Drowned in Sound posted a song-by-song recap of Humbug, and writer Sean Adams concludes:
“Probably not the album your average Oasis fan would want them to make (they won’t find it unlistenable, it’s no Liars-like ear-fuck). Possibly not the classic rock album that will assure them an Iron Maiden like future. Definitely an interesting clusterfuck of textures, ideas, time changes and production suss, topped off with Mr. Turner’s lyrical dexterity. The whole record (’cept ‘Cornerstone’) inhabits a haunting, misty, murky swamp land but it’s hardly some brash metal record that the Black Sabbath mentions in interviews hinted at or a meddling Josh Homme could easily have attempted to turn it into. Humbug sounds resolutely head and shoulders above most indie-rock records released this year and is certainly the sound of a band doing as they please, …