Described as a pop rock release, Friends and Lovers had been compared to the works of Mott the Hoople, Small Faces and Spooky Tooth.

He had planned to embark on a headlining UK tour in early 2000, but had cancelled it when Alan McGee left Creation, and followed by the shutdown of the label.

[12] Valerie Lambour, Albert Pinheiro, Ryan Tully, Boris Aldridge, and Chris Danby served as recording assistants across the various studios.

[7] Butler said Friends and Lovers was more straight forward with its emotions, telling a "similar story in half as many ways" as People Move On.

[16] His backing band consisted of Chris Bowers of Hopper on bass, Makoto Sakamoto on drums, and Terry Miles of Denim on keyboards.

[18] It was demoed around the time Butler was writing material for his debut at Château de la Motte in Domfront, Normandy, France in 1996.

[21] Two ballads followed, "No Easy Way Out" and "Everyone I Know Is Falling Apart"; the former was reminiscent of Goats Head Soup (1973)-era the Rolling Stones, while the latter evoked the darker songs on Third/Sister Lovers (1978).

[25] The following month, Butler played at Liss Ard 99 festival in Ireland, and then embarked on a brief UK club tour, leading up to a tribute show for Nick Drake.

[32] Friends and Lovers had a delayed release on Columbia Records in the United States on 1 February 2000, after its initial scheduled date of 18 January 2000.

"[18] CMJ New Music Report writer Chris Helm shared a similar sentiment, as the album "expounds upon the strengths of its predecessor by wisely cranking up the glammy crunch" of Butler's guitar.

"[13] Ed Masley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette remarked: "With Anderson on vocals, this could be the strongest Suede release since Dog Man Star," and stated that: "Throughout, the hooks are irresistible.

[45] Nude as the News co-founder Troy Carpenter echoed a similar statement, as Butler's "confident voice rings clear as it propels his melodies", accompanied by "lush instrumentation".

[46] Tim Murrah of Houston Press, on the other hand, noted that while Butler's "trademark wiggly playing is still intact," he showcased himself as a "weak writer and singer.

[47] Chicago Tribune's Jay Hedblade had a similar mixed sentiment, saying Buter "demonstrates he's adept at building gorgeous mile-high melodies that hit all the right buttons, yet as agreeable as it is, there's still a nagging feeling that something's missing."

"[48] Michael Gallucci of Cleveland Scene said the album's "one consistent flaw" was Butler's "push to deliver it to its predestined place in the CD bins".