[1] The first disc ("White") is made of mostly acoustic and string-driven songs hinted at on the last track ("She's Only Happy in the Sun") of Harper's previous album Diamonds On the Inside.

The second disc ("Black") is made up of the more rock-oriented material and touching on genres such as hard rock, funk and gospel.

The song criticizes President George W. Bush's handling of Hurricane Katrina, proclaiming, "Don't speak to us like we work for you / Selling false hope like some new dope we're addicted to / I'm not a desperate man but these are desperate times at hand / This generation is beyond your command.

"[1] The first disc opens with the ballad "Morning Yearning" and moving on to the Nick Drake-influenced solo guitar confessional "More Than Sorry" and the sentimental closer "Happy Everafter in Your Eyes", an ode to Harper's wife, actress Laura Dern.

[1] The second half of "Both Sides" delves into a variety of styles, from the Black Crowes-style rock track "Get It Like You Like It" to the blues of "The Way You Found Me" and the largely instrumental jam "Serve Your Soul" that closes the album.