Obscured by Clouds
Among more recent reviews of "Yellow Submarine", Peter Doggett, writing for "Mojo", credits Harrison's two compositions with "[doing] much to rescue the album from oblivion", and he describes "Only a Northern Song" as "gloriously ironic". Alex Young of "Consequence of Sound" views it as "lyrically the quintessential track", since "it perfectly defines "Yellow Submarine" in two verses alone, while coming out sonically like a Pink Floyd b-side from the "Obscured by Clouds" sessions ..." By contrast, Mark Kemp of "Paste" dismisses the song as a "meandering bore". "Pitchfork"s Mark Richardson says that, like "It's All Too Much", it offers little of interest aside from the "swirling" psychedelic effects, although the song "at least has a good joke going for it".