Written by vocalist and guitarist Deron Miller, Carver City is often billed as a concept album about the fictional eponymous town, which is said to be a holiday resort plagued by crime.

Carver City was a success both commercially and critically, with reviewers praising the high production values and experimental nature of the songs on the album.

[2] Miller explained that he had confronted Ginsburg and Margera after he heard them say some "extremely personal, painful things" about him, and that he was considering returning to the group after dealing with his increasing problems with alcohol abuse.

[3] Miller reflected on the production process of the album prior to its release, stating that "Sobriety, hard work, patching up inner turmoil and a love for what we do has undoubtedly made this the most collaborative and focused CKY effort to date".

In a 2015 interview, Miller claimed that he and Ginsburg began working on an early version of "Afterworld" during sessions for Carver City, but didn't complete the track in time.

Speaking at the time of the album's announcement, primary songwriter Miller offered the following description of the concept: "The fabled town of Carver City has a history of bad luck and misfortune, all the while giving the impression that it's a pleasant family getaway.

[5] Lana Cooper of the website PopMatters has proposed that the song is a sequel to an earlier track on the album, "...And She Never Returned", in which a young woman goes missing and is never found, presumed to be murdered.

In his review of the album, AllMusic's Phil Freeman noted the prominence of synthesizers on many of the songs, which with other elements he claimed made the band sound "bizarre ... weird ... [and] unique".

[20] Similarly, Cooper of PopMatters claimed that "Carver City finds CKY miles away from the sophomoric sounds of their demos ... as well as that of their last disc, 2005's An Answer Can Be Found.

Freeman of AllMusic applauded the band for being "smart and unique" on the album, praising elements such as the use of synthesizers and "seriously heavy" guitar riffs, especially on the tracks "Rats in the Infirmary", "Woe Is Me" and "A#1 Roller Rager".

[20] Cooper of PopMatters praised the release in comparison to its predecessor, An Answer Can Be Found, by claiming that it "strikes the right mix of theme and variety while offering a much more polished version of the sound that brought them to the dance".

[19] She went on to describe the style of the album as akin to "grandiose ‘80s thrash- and power-metal with a modern sensibility", praising the contribution of bassist Matt Deis.