Heather Phares from AllMusic wrote that Habits ran through the same kind of "hyper-literate lyrics and whip-smart hooks" just like The Killers did, but felt that the band lacked the "huge, and occasionally cumbersome, ambitions that Brandon Flowersand company possess", so instead they keptthe album "focused and catchy, crafting unrepentantly slick songs with huge choruses, and where everything falls into place at exactly the expected moment". Contact Music's Nima Baniamer described "Animal" as "both brilliantly catchy but also epicly anthemic", and that the record "never seems to slow down", with hits after hits coming. The critic concluded her review by writing: "Rock, electro, indie, pop; there is something for everyone here." idobi Radio described all eight songs in Habits as "mix up the decades, combining for a fast-paced dance party reminiscent of The Strokes and Depeche Mode" which "provides a serious punch of slick pop rock all the way through, making up for its brevity". Jared Ponton from Sputnikmusic noted that the tracks on the album "bring the hooks hard and fast, destining themselves to be chart winners that might actually last a month on the alternative charts", but warned listeners to not "expect to find any profound and deeply thought-out phrases", with Neon Trees "opt to obey their so-called stereotype limitations by penning head absorbers, instead of clever lyrics". In a mixed review, Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone commented that the tracks "wrap sparkling keyboards around angsty melodies and lyrics", but criticised "how hard the band tries" with "huge, pained choruses" which made the album "more Sam's Town than Hot Fuss — and that's not a good thing". BBC's Mike Diver criticised the formulaic composition of the songs set by the "commercially-sound, all bouncy keyboards and sing-along choruses" single "Animal", writing: "So many of these songs follow the same formula – slow starts, gentle builds, big middle sections, crackling climaxes, sudden fades – that they become indistinguishable from each other." He commented that lyrically the record worked fine "in a pop context", but still "misses the target enough to leave the listener remembering shortcomings over anything else". Robert Cooke from Drowned In Sound viewed Habits negatively and described it as a "cheap barrel of MOR indie rock, cloaked in pointless synths and empty sentiments, over-produced into oblivion", with "inane and childlike" hooks and "shallow" lyrics. The critic noted the "snippets of inspiration" in tracks such as "Sins Of My Youth" and "In The Next Room", but nevertheless found that it "burps and farts itself into irrelevance in the same way".
