For his debut album, Subliminal Plastic Motives (1995), Self's lead member Matt Mahaffey focused on guitar arrangements and incorporating rock music.

[5] After signing to DreamWorks Records, a larger budget allowed Mahaffey to work with various acclaimed engineers and producers for the album, including Ken Andrews of Failure, Richard Dodd, and Hugh Padgham.

[7] "It All Comes Out in the Wash" appeared in volumes one and two of Soaking in the Center of the Universe, sampler albums released by Spongebath Records in January 1998 and March 1998, respectively.

[citation needed] The third single, "Paint by Numbers", was included on the soundtrack of the film Dead Man on Campus (1998),[13] which released through MTV and DreamWorks Records on July 21, 1998.

Director Alan Cohn picked the song as a theme for the main character, Josh Miller (Tom Everett Scott).

[11] The cover artwork of Breakfast with Girls shows Mahaffey and a woman walking together, largely obscured by the band's logo on a black background.

Gabe Besecker of Woof Magazine stated that the rock focus of Subliminal Plastic Motives led Breakfast with Girls to initially receive a negative reception for its power pop style, but is retrospectively regarded as "a masterpiece".

[21] Barry Walters of Spin reviewed Breakfast with Girls with a 7 out of 10 rating, complimenting Mahaffey's creativity and style fusions alongside the project's emotional vulnerability and quirkiness.

[1] Carlene Bauer of CMJ also praised the album's glossy, hook-driven pop, appreciating its fun instrumentation and mix of heartfelt and ironic lyricism.

[2] Vincent Jeffries of AllMusic gave Breakfast with Girls 2.5 stars out of 5, criticizing its overly intricate presentation and lack of melodic appeal while commending its diverse musical styles and experimental composition.

[4] Nick Mirov of Pitchfork rated the album a 6.5 out of 10, highlighting Mahaffey's ambitious production and clever songwriting but stating that it often suffers from overcrowded ideas and mismatched elements.