"Much of Orpheus Descending features a returning Lisa Germano, the violinist who played with the rocker from 1987's 'The Lonesome Jubilee' through 1998's 'John Mellencamp', tending to an adventurous solo career all the while. Germano's presence accentuates how Mellencamp is returning to the earthy, rangy roots rock of 'Big Daddy', a sound that seemed slightly out of time in the 1980s and now feels somewhat traditional; Mellencamp's blend of sinewy rhythms and burnished acoustics is recognizably his, yet it draws upon a sound that's now part of a shared past. It's a sound that's aged well ... [Mellencamp's] leathery croak helps give this lean, direct music a gravelly anchor that Germano offsets with her lithe, graceful support. Listening to their interplay gives Orpheus Descending an unexpected emotional kick that helps the record transcend the occasional overly literal lyric from Mellencamp".