It was recorded in collaboration with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings at Woodland Studio in Nashville, Tennessee in 2004, and released later that year.

The set comprises twelve new recordings, all Hitchcock compositions with the exception of "Tryin' to Get to Heaven Before They Close the Door", a cover of a Bob Dylan song.

The painting on the front is a detail from one of Hitchcock's own, featuring an enlarged cat-like creature looming from behind a wall.

Hitchcock dedicates the album to 'The Dark Princess', using the title of a track from 1999's Jewels for Sophia as a pseudonym for his partner Michele Noach.

[citation needed] All songs by Robyn Hitchcock except where noted