The Blessed Unrest received generally positive reviews from
music critics. At
Metacritic, they assign a
weighted average score based on reviews and ratings from selected mainstream critics, and the Metascore is a 68, based on seven reviews. At
AbsolutePunk, Craig Manning felt that Bareilles built "the sort of stunning and nuanced arrangements that elevate her songs beyond traditional singer/songwriter fare." Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic noted that "its melancholy is warm and inviting." At
Billboard, Jason Lipshutz evoked that the "new album was the result of unrest, but as its title suggests, she has positively embraced her dissatisfaction and subsequently grown as an artist." Elysa Gardner of
USA Today called this Bareilles' "most mature and satisfying to date, with fewer of the twee touches that marred her previous fare." At
Entertainment Weekly, they said the album is " a lovely collection of confessional sketches." However, Stacey Anderson at
Rolling Stone highlighted that the release "hints at more adventurous paths left unexplored in its abstract piano and slightly distorted harmonies [...] odd, intriguing tools she could use for a second-act career twist, if she indulges them." Because of this, Anderson noted that Bareilles was "just too diplomatic." At
The New York Times, Jon Caramanica was mixed on the album, when he alluded to how "Ms. Bareilles is hiding behind styles that aren’t her own." Brett Faulkner of
PopMatters wrote that the release is a "well conceived effort, but not sans flaws." ==Commercial performance==