Mogwai had previously produced well-received soundtracks for documentary Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait and Darren Aronofsky's film The Fountain.

[1] Daniel Ross, writing for the BBC, compared Les Revenants to these previous soundtracks, saying that it is "a little more expected, suited and basically in tune with how you might imagine a new Mogwai record to sound";[2] post-rock has had a strong association with zombie films since music by Godspeed You!

They responded by sending producers some demos which they had written and recorded before receiving the request, and so without any specific tailoring to the series.

They sought a "calmly unsettling" feel, but chose to avoid rock music, despite knowing that the show would include some action scenes.

[10] Reviewers noted that the album contained more music than was used in the series, including a cover of Washington Phillips's "What Are They Doing In Heaven Today", the only track with vocals.

[5] Writing for AllMusic, Heather Phares said that Les Revenants defied expectations "with an intimate, low-key brilliance".

She noted that the music on the album differed from previous work by Mogwai, claiming that even the most dramatic tracks did not "explode" in the way that elements of Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will did.

[1] Andy Gill, reviewing the album for The Independent, also felt that the music was more subdued than Mogwai's typical productions; something caused by restrictions of the genre which "work to [the group's] advantage".

[1] Laura Snapes, writing for Pitchfork Media, felt the music was more "unsettling" than dramatic or horrific, and so reflected the mood of the show.