The album features material written while the band had been touring, which Andrew Wade helped them demo.

Featured on the album are guest vocalists Mike Hranica (The Devil Wears Prada), Vincent Bennett (The Acacia Strain) and Sierra Kusterbeck (VersaEmerge).

It was the band's final album featuring Tom Denney on guitar, who was replaced on tour by Kevin Skaff.

Three singles were released from the album: "NJ Legion Iced Tea" in January 2009, "The Downfall of Us All" in May, and "Have Faith in Me" in March 2010.

[5] The album's lyrics are similar to their previous efforts, with the band aiming to "keep it as personal and open at the same time", as vocalist Jeremy McKinnon commented.

[nb 2][5] Speaking of the album's sound, McKinnon said that the band "wanted to make sure it was heavier and poppier" while at the same time trying "to take it to the next level".

[5] In the early hours of one morning,[6] McKinnon was driving to Ocala, Florida when the chorus guitar riff to "The Downfall of Us All" came to him, sometime in September 2008.

[6] "My Life for Hire" was one of the first songs written for the album, but remained unfinished until shortly before recording sessions began.

[8] The title for "Mr. Highway's Thinking About the End" also comes from a movie, The Good Son,[10] while the lyrics are about people attempting to undermine your achievements.

[8] "Welcome to the Family" features a recording of Andrew Wade's heart beat towards the end of the track.

[12] McKinnon said he was "proud" of the track: "My parents were really happy when they first heard it: My dad is always worried about me and my mom really did ask me to write her some soft songs.

"[8] "Holdin' It Down for the Underground" came about after McKinnon lost two family members and writing the song helped him relieve the pain.

"[15] In an August 2008 interview with AbsolutePunk, McKinnon said the band were planning to start recording once the tour with New Found Glory had finished, "So Oct & Nov."[16] McKinnon said that having Wade, who had previously worked on the band's other albums on production duties, was a way for the album to have "A Day To Remember-type feel".

[21] Gilbert was touring with New Found Glory in Europe at the time, but with video conferencing he was able to offer input about the record.

", Vincent Bennett of The Acacia Strain on "Welcome to the Family", and Sierra Kusterbeck of VersaEmerge on "If It Means a Lot to You".

[42] In mid-January, the song "Welcome to the Family" was put on the band's Myspace profile,[nb 7][43][44] with "The Downfall of Us All" being added on 26 January.

[49] In February and March, the band went on a tour of the UK and Europe alongside For the Fallen Dreams and Azriel.

[27] A live video of the band performing "Mr. Highway's Thinking About the End" was included in an episode of Victory's VicTorV.

[58][63] It was included as a DVD trailer on their profile, which people mistook as the song's actual music video.

[74] The band had performed acoustic versions of both "Homesick" and "Have Faith in Me" before a show in early April, for 98 Rock,[75] and again, for KROQ, a few months later.

[81] The band started the first of The AP Sessions for Alternative Press on June 30, performing "Homesick" and "Have Faith in Me".

[82] The music video for "Have Faith in Me", directed by Mark Staubach,[83] was released on July 14, receiving its world premiere on MTV.

[98] "NJ Legion Iced Tea" is available as downloadable content for Guitar Hero World Tour.

[1] Thomas Nassiff of AbsolutePunk called Homesick "a record that is honest and entertaining", despite how "repetitive" and "dense it may be".

[103] Nassiff went on to say that the album wouldn't appeal to the public, but it would be "welcomed with open arms" by the band's fans.

"[103] Rock on Request reviewer Anthony Avina furthered this comment by naming the songs "Welcome to the Family" and the title track as examples of the band showing off their "wide range of talent while producing a harmonious album" that the band's fans "will instantly fall in love with.

[104] Petteri Pertola, for Rockfreaks.net, "appreciate[s] the way these guys fuse metalcore and pop punk seamlessly together", adding that "many songs are plagued by an overtly formulaic approach, but when it works, [...] Homesick is one of the catchiest listens you'll experience this year.

"[106] AllMusic reviewer James Christopher Monger said "The Downfall of Us All" would gain an extra "life in countless montages on MTV reality shows and 30-second cola commercials.

"[107] Monger said that the album consisted "of perfectly executed and fairly standard clean vocal post-hardcore emo-pop" which shows the "limitations of the genre.

"[107] Monger called the backing vocals "exciting at first", but felt that they "eventually dissolve into the waves of distortion mid-album", becoming an "audio equivalent of an energy drink crash.