[2] According to Greg Prato from Allmusic, there are so many different styles found in L'Autrichienne that it would be possible to fool the average listener into thinking each track was made by a different band; it shows influences ranging from indie rock to sludge metal.

During the intervening 30 years, Valentine read voraciously about the time period and was inspired to write most of the double album's worth of songs (the remainder written by drummer and co-founding member Edgar Livengood).

The album's liner notes feature a historical commentary to each song, written by Valentine and based on her lifelong research about the French Revolution.

[3][5] Gazelle Amber Valentine's work as a singer in this album has been compared to young PJ Harvey's as well as Courtney Love's.

[5] Her ability to shift from one vocal technique to another has been praised specially by Greg Prato from Allmusic, who asserts only very talented vocalists are able to do what she does.