Some Cities was conceived as a rawer, stripped-down record, and conceptually touches upon the physical changes of the band's hometown of Manchester, as well as emotional transformations.

In a February 2005 interview with The Irish Times, vocalist/bassist Jimi Goodwin said, "Jeff Barrett from our label, Heavenly, suggested we work with William and we were fine with that, we're always up for trying new stuff.

The recording process is shown in the mini-documentary Cities Under Construction, featured on the bonus DVD included with the special edition of the album.

In a 2010 interview with Spinner.com, Jimi Goodwin stated, "I look back fondly at the Some Cities period, going to this old schoolhouse in Scotland with Ben Nevis out the window.

[5] In addition, a limited edition version, packaged inside a hessian cloth-covered box with fold-out poster and bonus DVD, was also released.

Drowned in Sound awarded the album a 9 out of 10 rating, saying, "Though it may be gentle and frequently maudlin, it is no doubt a release to spend 50 minutes with this record.

"[10] MusicOMH praised the album, calling it "an ethereal outpouring of emotion; melancholic madness meeting soul-soaring serendipity head on," and noted that, "Gone is the prog-like polished production of The Last Broadcast, it's more akin to debut Lost Souls in timbre.

Yet while those were records that sounded like they were conceived in wide open countryside or of the rolling sea this is an ode to the industrial heartland of their childhood; at turns crunching and urban, desolate and apocalyptic.