[2] Stott's EP Passed Me By (2011) marks the beginning of the part of his discography where he made tracks with a less dub techno-tinged style that defined his previous records,[3] opting instead for a much more bass-heavy sound a la Sunn O))) and Demdike Stare,[3] slower tempos,[4] and more abstract arrangements.

[4] The tone and sound of Luxury Problems came from how significantly Stott's personal life was changed by the time he was working on his EP Passed Me By (2011).

[4] Electronic Beats analogized the album's set of sounds as presenting a "beautifully decayed aura of concrete and chrome, halogen and grime—the soul of a heaving, monstrous city at twilight, equal (yet often struggling) parts fragile light and enclosing darkness.

[4] Reed Scott Reid of Tiny Mix Tapes noted elements of 1990s music on the album, such as the flanging Amen break drum sample on “Up The Box.

[4] Critics compared Skidmore's vocal performance on the album to Julee Cruise,[6] Tracey Thorn,[6] Elizabeth Fraser,[4] and Lisa Gerrard.

[4] The bright tone of Skidmore's vocals contracts, as well as interplays with, the sinister vibe of the instrumentals, which was praised in not only reviews of Luxury Problems[16][5] but also in pieces about his later albums which had a similar sound including Too Many Voices (2016).

[3][22] Luxury Problems received Pitchfork's label of "Best New Album" in a review by Mark Richardson, praising it for being "simultaneously more complex and more accessible" than his previous works.

[16] He honored Stott for making a more "dynamic" record by "humaniz[ing] his sound" and "ma[king] it more beautiful and richer on the surface while further accentuating its dark heart.