The album consists of B-sides, rarities and never before released songs from the Microphones and Mount Eerie.

An official press release described the sound on the album as "Raw poems barely accompanied on acoustic guitar, expanses of wooden percussion, distorted punk instructionals, hundreds of voices singing, an attempt at smooth jazz, the lowest note on a questionable piano in a big empty".

[3] Alex Young of Consequence of Sound wrote that "Song Islands Vol.

2 hits incredible highs and lows even the most dedicated fan would question" but conceded that it was "on the whole, a worthy investment of time and thought".

[2] Nick Rs of Tiny Mix Tapes wrote that "The songs here, culled from eight years of output, present stylistic contrasts even starker than on any previous Microphones/Mount Eerie release".