“Brave New World presents the first full-fledged collection of new Styx material in nearly a decade. Skeptics would expect the album to be nothing but reconstituted arena rock, but that’s not entirely true. True, Brave New World is in that tradition – after all, Styx was one of the architects of the style – but they try new things too, such as Tommy Shaw’s weird, neutered funk metal on I Will Be Your Witness [an odd choice for the album’s leadoff track] and Number One, or how James Young’s songs push the heaviness quotient, or how the entire album is given a clean, contemporary sound” (Erlewine).

“Ironic, then, that the record is a deeply cynical tirade at the ‘90s…A true streak of bitterness runs through the record, culminating in the cringe-inducing assault on hipsters and pundits High Crimes & Misdemeanors (Hip Hop-cracy) (there could be an attack on rap and hip-hop in the song, as well – the title certainly suggests it and maybe the canned drum machine is supposed to recall hip-hop, but it’s impossible to tell)” (Erlewine).

Everything Is Cool was the first track sent to radio, but it went nowhere. That’s too bad, because it was certainly worthy of a fair share of spins on rock stations, but has-been bands like Styx had long ago been abandoned by the airwaves.

“As it turns out, Styx are luddites, scared or disgusted at everything the modern world has to offer (except for their biggest fan, Adam Sandler, who is thanked in the notes); there’s a genuine distrust for anything new, and deep longing for times passed (whether it’s adolescence or the band’s glory days, it’s impossible to tell) pulsates throughout the album. For the devoted and doubters alike, that bitterness keeps things interesting, but Brave New World ultimately fails because the songs just don't catch hold” (Erlewine).

“Whether they're good or bad, the themes are interesting, and Styx has a different feel for each song, but they have no hooks or melodies to make them memorable. Concept and construction may be enough to justify a spin of Brave New World, but only the hardcore fan will delve into its beliefs, contradictions, and mysteries” (Erlewine).