[8] In November 2001 the band released the single "Gadfly Adolescence",[9] which was described by NME as 'a magnificent debut from these shamelessly prog-tinged guitar alchemists, running the gamut of classic English teen anthems from "Pinball Wizard" to "All The Young Dudes" to "Eton Rifles" and beyond...a heady mix of ragged riffs, symphonic song structures and heart-tugging lyrics about lazy childhood summers spent "deep in the gloaming".
'[10] This song was re-recorded for the group's debut album The Spring Heel Penny Dreadful & Other Tales of Morbid Curiosity, released in May 2003 by the indie label Must Destroy who were at the time finding success with one of their other signings, The Darkness.
'[19] Two of the songs, "To Make Yer Feel Better" and "Blake on a Bad Day", had been premiered as part of the band's John Peel session,[13] and the album's sleeve notes included a dedication to the late DJ who died between its recording and release.
[21] Another new song, "A Haunted House Ain't a Home", was included on the free CD which came with the September issue of Classic Rock,[22] ahead of the release of third album Dulce Domum on 5 November.
'[28] Mojo noted a similarity to fellow Liverpudlians Shack, 'but they also add curious sonic details and lyrics of drug laments, romantic poets and death that relocate from Liverpool to Parisian cemeteries.
[30] For the fifth album Suddenly, At Home & Other Rumours of Misadventure, he made the decision to dispense with the rock band format, and initially approached Sean O'Hagan of The High Llamas to write string and brass arrangements for what would be a collection of acoustic songs.
[30] Released in June 2011 on download only, it was positively received, with Q Magazine commenting that 'these songs of seances and psychic vampirism sustain an atmosphere of splendid unease that's recommended to admirers of 'hauntological' experimentalists The Focus Group, early Fall and Jandek.
The October issue of Mojo magazine came with a tribute album to Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon featuring of Arrowe Hill covering closing song "Eclipse" in the style of Syd Barrett.
[35] On 13 November the band appeared on ITN News filming a promo clip in a 60 ft World War I trench that military historian Andrew Robertshaw had built in his back garden.
Mojo Magazine described it as adopting 'a perky bossa nova sound in an Arthur Lee-like song of encroaching unease to coincide with the World Cup's imminent supercharging of things Brazilian.