Four years after being dropped from the 4AD roster, HNIA released this album on their own Silver Mountain Media Group label (with major-label distribution from Sony-BMG).

While many of the band's longtime fans (and 4AD devotees) had been disappointed with the group's final two albums for 4AD, fan reception to Detrola was quite positive, with many observing that it was finally a proper follow-up to 1998's 4AD release Ft. Lake.

Despite no longer being signed to 4AD, the record went a long way toward gaining back their fans from that era, while introducing the group to a new set of fans; the record was a considerable hit on modern rock radio and college rock charts.

Lovetta Pippen, the sole vocalist for the final two 4AD albums, also appears as a background singer on "I Thought I Saw" and sings lead on "Seven Minutes."

The album made many "best-of-lists" for 2006, including that of David Bowie, as noted on the band's website.