[2][3] Cornell chose producer Brendan O'Brien as a collaborator to create a more intimate sound for the record.

"We just made loops, layered things and played some percussion stuff.

"[4] Upon its release, Higher Truth received generally favorable reviews from music critics.

[5] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic said, "While Higher Truth never seems as self-consciously confessional as Euphoria Mourning, this mellow simplicity is an attribute: a relaxed Cornell creates a comforting mood piece that's enveloping in its warmth.

It stakes its claim in the rich soils of the middle ground, a place that values intimacy above innovation, quiet truths above the ones that scream.