Falcon has an arena and indie rock sound, influenced in part by the work of Elbow, and is slower-paced than their previous album.
[12] musicOMH contributor Camilla Pia noted that the Oasis influence of their debut had "pretty much disappeared" with Falcon, though it was replaced with a "Glasvegas, U2 and most of all Elbow" sound.
[14] Drowned in Sound writer Aaron Lavery referred to it as a "slower, much more introspective prospect than its predecessor, with Fray’s lyrics softened by time spent on the road".
[13][14] "Take Over the World" straddles between the indie sound of the band's past work and balladry, evoking "Viva la Vida" (2008) by Coldplay during its chorus sections.
[8][19] "The Rest of the World Has Gone Home" deals with the theme of loneliness in the style of Babyshambles, while "Sycophant" is a rock song that touches on folk and psychedelia.
[17][20][21] The rock balladry of "Cameo Brooch" is followed by "Scratch Your Name Upon My Lips", a love song detailing a long-distance relationship that spans 6,000 miles, incorporating rhythms used by Franz Ferdinand.
[14][22][23] "Last of the Ladies" is a piano ballad, leading into the closing song "Will It Be This Way Forever", which has electronic influences and apes the work of Oasis.
[26] Following this, the band ended the year with two one-off gigs, one at Parr Hall in Warrington and the second at the Central Convention Complex in Manchester with support from Buzzcocks and the Whip.
[41][42] Between June and August 2010, the band performed at the Glastonbury, Isle of Wight, T in the Park, iTunes, Oxegen, Underage and V Festivals.
[43] In November 2010, the band played at The Big Reunion festival; the following month, they embarked on a short tour of the UK, with support from Miles Kane and I Am Kloot.
Though she added that "too much soul-baring is as bad as too many putdowns; maybe next time the band will find some balance between the extremes of this album" and the previous.
[18] Pia saw it as a "marked improvement" from their debut, praising the "newly discovered emotional depth to Fray's songwriting", while lambasting the band for not pushing themselves beyond their influences.
[13] Digital Spy writer Alex Fletcher, on the other hand, stated that the band had "too much chug in their guitars and anthemic ambition to be billed as copyists of Elbow's more intricate and delicate stylings".
[15] The Guardian editor Will Dean wrote that "most things fall between the cracks – either sub-Guy Garvey/Conor Oberst ballads [...] you just suspect the Courteeners could do better".
Music reviewer Julian Marszalek wrote that "what hampers" the album was the "small and obvious palette that they paint from - a soupcon of Oasis here, a dab of Elbow there and some typical indie garnishes all over the place".
[53] Ally Carnwath of The Observer echoed a similar sentiment, stating that "[t]here's a development of sorts here but it extends only to leavening brash indie swagger with bolted-on string sections and heart-on-sleeve anthemics".
[54] The Line of Best Fit writer Erik Thompson thought it "relies too heavily on repetitive, unimaginative choruses and very little on authenticity and heart".