The title is said to be a reference to the Hornstull neighborhood in Stockholm, where the band is based, which has a high concentration of creative artists (hence 'Writer's Block').

Unlike the band's two earlier albums, which were more in the vein of revivalist music and influenced by songwriters such as John Lennon and Elvis Costello, Writer's Block marked a more experimental and 'indie rock' approach.

The album version of the track 'Let's Call It Off' contains a sample of the song 'Ancient Curse', the B-Side to the Young Folks single, at the end.

[13] The title track is a sixteen-second snippet of 'found sound' from what appears to be a shopping mall or other public area, with the melody of 'Young Folks' playing in the background.

The single mix of "Objects Of My Affection" uses more folk-rock production and use of acoustic guitar with a more noticeable vocal melody than the windswept, shoegazing-style album version, while the single mix of "Let's Call It Off" uses steel drums and a 'calypso' style in contrast to the 'Merseyside Beat'-feel of the album version.