[2] The album was recorded in October 2007.produced by Erol Alkan who had previously produced many of the band's B-sides including "Fulwood Babylon", "All Bar One Girls" and "Five Ways to End It".

[14] Uncut gave the album four stars and called it a "sleek, sexy affair....Flirtations with a darker sound and Donna Summer-style disco emerge",[15] Mojo labelled the album "ambitious and close to unique".

[15] Drowned in Sound said that the band had created "an ambitious, forward-thinking pop record that tops their debut by quite some distance",[16] and Allmusic called the LP an "exciting, challenging, daring listen that's full of brains".

[17] Despite good reactions from many music critics in the UK, Pitchfork Media had an average take on the album, writing that "In an attempt to be taken seriously, they've sacrificed too much of their effervescent appeal."

[18] Click Music's Andrew Grillo named Couples his ninth best album of 2008.