Production was handled by Black Francis with the song "Always", which was additionally produced by Robert Carranza.
[2] Peter Gerstenzang of Spin praised the album, stating: "from bracing opener "Precious Stone" to the chugging fan appreciation "Rock Crowd" to a heartfelt version of Gram Parsons' "Wheels", Yorn emerges with his most purposeful, affecting album yet".
[10] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote: "this album's often a bracing, propulsive listen, the hardest rock Yorn has ever recorded, even if it does suggest Yorn is like tofu, adapting the characteristics of whatever spices he's paired with".
Club wrote: "the self-titled album he bashed out with Pixies frontman Frank Black before the recording sessions for Back And Fourth is seeing the light of day, and in spite of Black's assertion that he was attempting to strip Yorn and his songs down to their core essences, the results feel anonymous, cycling through half a dozen different voices while displaying only fleeting glimpses of the effortless pop chops that made Yorn so inescapable a decade ago".
[12] Jonathan Keefe of Slant resumed: "while that may not necessarily make Yorn any more distinctive on this album than on any of his previous efforts, Black's energy at least gives him more of an edge than the singer-songwriter has been known for in the past".