Reception to When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes was mainly positive. AbsolutePunk reviewer Thomas Nassiff summarized the reunion album as "a holistic recap of the band's career that still shows good progression" and "one very important thing: Yellowcard is back, and they're back for good".[17] Jared Ponton of Sputnikmusic, in his review giving the album 4 out of 5 stars, explained, "The record bleeds with the best that Yellowcard have done thus far, yet in a fresh context, bursting with newfound energy after a short hiatus that, in hindsight, was certainly needed."[24] Allmusic reviewer Gregory Heaney, who gave the album one of its lowest critical ratings at 3 out of 5 stars, published a more mixed review, while remarking on the band's progression away from catchy violin-driven melodies and toward music focused on the songwriting's impact