The Movielife broke up in September 2003; guitarist Brandon Reilly formed Nightmare of You the following month, with the intention of making more pop-oriented music.

[1][2][3] As news was being spread that Reilly had started a new band, several demos (with Hot Rod Circuit drummer Mike Poorman) were posted online in January 2004.

[7] Mixing sessions were spread across Skip Saylor in Larchmont, Henson in Hollywood, The Fiction Factory, and Pie Studio in Long Island.

Adam MacDougal adds keyboards and piano to every song, save for "My Name Is Trouble", "I Want to Be Buried in Your Backyard", and "In the Bathroom Is Where I Want You", and occasionally provided vocal harmonies.

[9] The opening track "The Days Go by Oh So Slow" sets the tone of the album with its upbeat tempo and melodic nature showcasing Reilly's vocals.

[14] The outro horns, played by Dengue Fever member David Ralicke, in "Ode to Serotonin" recalled the work of the Decemberists.

[9][12] On February 12, 2005, while in the midst of recording, demos of "Dear Scene, I Wish I Was Deaf", "Why Am I Always Right" and "I Want to Be Buried in Your Backyard" were posted on Nightmare of You's PureVolume account.

[19] On July 13, 2005, "My Name Is Trouble" was released as the lead single, with "You Don't Have to Tell Me I Was a Terrible Man" and "Dopesick Couples on the Lower East Side" as extra tracks.

The Guardian critic Leonie Cooper remarked that with their "glossy, ultra-modern rock, if you're looking for a band to fall in love with in 2007, Nightmare of You are currently looking like pretty fetching prospective partners".

[40] AbsolutePunk staff member Drew Beringer thought that the album was "full of personality and is a breath of fresh air in a scene that rehashes the same idea and trend over and over again".

[10] Punknews.org staff member Brian Shultz wrote that it can be difficult to maintain the "same abundant consistency to a full, proper record, but with Nightmare Of You's self-titled debut, they've nearly succeeded.

[4] Raziq Rauf of Drowned in Sound praised the band for side stepping their "hardcore roots for a new, more comfortable outlook where they are more concerned with the finer points of life".

[11] Blender writer Dennis Lim said with the band's "ingratiating puppy dog of a debut, this Long Island foursome homes in on a demographic that has come to be personified by Natalie Portman’s character in Garden State: girls who love the Shins".

[39] Stylus Magazine writer Ayo Jegede remarked that the band "mastered General Studies, digging into every little field and retrieving a little kernel of interest.

[15] Gigwise's Michelle Lowery wrote that the band's "name may suggest something that ultimately should sound heavier and the pink flowery album cover even hints at a slice of irony but it would be hard pressed to find anything other than made for radio bubbly pop rock with this offering".