Caught the Blast

Many reviewers, such as those writing for Allmusic and Pitchfork, gave Caught The Blast negative reviews upon its release. For example, Allmusic reviewer Andy Kellman wrote that the album "probably sounds great to anyone who has never heard a Dischord release with a copyright date earlier than 1995,"[8] and Pitchfork Media's Michael Idov wrote that "every note produced by every instrument on Caught the Blast has been meticulously designed to suck."[3]

This album did receive some positive reviews, however, including one from Robert Christgau, who wrote that "...like so many lo-fi note-missers of enduring social value, they're winningly enthusiastic about their own negativity."[7] Terry Sawyer of PopMatters said in 2003 that Caught the Blast was "one of the best records I've heard this year," and after attending a live show where Party of One performed, described Fifteen's stage presence as "petulantly misanthropic."[9] Seattle Weekly's Rod Smith wrote that "[Fifteen's] refusal to wax sanctimonious or get flinchy in even the ugliest situations is part of why Fifteen's party runs so well."[10] Another positive review of this album came from the Washington City Paper, where Andrew Beaujon wrote that it was "...the most fun, most disconcerting way to amuse yourself since the BBC's The League of Gentlemen,"[11] and their single "Snap You Like a Twig," the lead track on Caught the Blast, received a positive review from Drowned in Sound, where "Shoo" wrote that the song was "an expansive track oblique with orphaned emotion, latent suggestions of insurrection, loss, crushing defeats, sexual recklessness, domination, upside-down worldview."[12] In The Washington Post, Mark Jenkins wrote that "Many of the album's tracks are basically folk-blues laments, but they're set to percolating rhythms and updated with unexpected asides..."[13]