Sounds of Crenshaw Vol. 1 was met with universal acclaim from
music critics. At
Metacritic, which assigns a
normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an
average score of 81 based on nine reviews. Kevin Press of
Exclaim! praised the album, saying that it is a "deeply funky
jazz record with a sensibility that incorporates the best of this L.A. neighbourhood's long fascination with
hip-hop and
R&B. It captures the full breadth of the region's rich musical history. ... This is, at the very least, the record of the summer. For some, it might just be the record of 2017".
AllMusic's Andy Kellman stated: "the freewheeling, uplifted spirit likewise continues. Martin and company combine and alternate between groove-oriented contemporary jazz,
soul,
funk, and hip-hop". Ammar Kalia of
Clash resumed: "although the second half of the record loses steam somewhat with a succession of slow R&B vocal numbers like "Your Space" and "Feelings of the World",
Sounds of Crenshaw Vol. 1 largely maintains its coherence. Its slight messiness is representative of a life lived, something that in itself never coheres as a perfect narrative". Ural Garrett of
HipHopDX found it "feels like the ideal soundtrack to the iconic 23-mile street named after the real estate banker
George Lafayette Crenshaw. It won't transcend to other hoods but Martin and crew win by developing a project that's sonically ambitious from beginning to end". Charles Waring of
Record Collector wrote: "while the relaxed vibe is continuous, the music isn't repetitive but there's nothing really new here: rather it's an extension of what Sade's band
Sweetback and trumpeter
Roy Hargrove's RH Factor were doing well over a decade ago. Even so, it's an enthralling fusion of sounds and styles". Seth Colter Walls of
Pitchfork concluded: "over time, the album's subtle ambition becomes impossible to miss". In his mixed review for
The Guardian, John Lewis wrote: "[Terrace Martin's] latest project uses some heavyweight jazz talents but takes us into more mainstream R&B territory, with decent
neosoul numbers including "Intentions" (featuring Chachi) and "You and Me" (featuring Rose Gold) mixed with rather bland and soporific fuzak". ==Track listing==