mark richardson of "pitchfork" described "a-punk" as having a "spunky drive, pogo-inducing rhythm, and subtle but hugely effective sonic accents" and said that "while solid, [it] isn't one of the stronger songs on "vampire weekend"". "drowned in sound" writer alex denney, commented that "a-punk" was not the best song from their debut album due to it being "a little too uptempo to let their disarmingly clever melodies breathe", but stated "for the flute-aping synths and bottled-sunshine guitars alone you need this in your life." the review from greg rose of "gigwise", was mixed. rose said that although the song lacked originality, it "manages to sound unique" due to the lyrical inventiveness of lines by ezra koenig such as, "his honor drove southward seeking exotica/cut his teeth on turquoise harmonicas", which were described as being "perky" and gave the song "a buzzing zip."