Woodrow Wilkins of All About Jazz wrote "The guitarist/vocalist is a master of the laid-back groove, successfully bringing together elements of smooth jazz and contemporary R&B. On West Coast Coolin' , Brown consolidates his reputation as a premier recording and performing artist with a collection of ten tracks—written and co-written by the leader—that push the idea of "chillin'" to new heights."[4]
Thom Jurek of AllMusic commented "Brown works with a host of producers, and his familiar smooth jazz underpinnings — derived more from George Benson and Hiram Bullock than Wes Montgomery these days — are present but not prevalent on most of the set. Instead, his slick nu-soul/nu-jazz singing style — identified by a thin whispery tenor — gets front and center on more than half the album's ten cuts."[3]