In the studio the band worked with Nathan Stone and Carly Worsfold, who provided string sections on the tracks "Run & Hide" and "High Time".
[8] In an interview with Bedfordshire on Sunday vocalist & bassist Rob Hawkins summarised the lyrical construction of all three albums by the Automatic; with Not Accepted Anywhere being about personal experiences and growing up, This Is a Fix was largely based around news and world events, whilst Tear the Signs Down is more about story telling.
The lyrics in first single "Interstate" reflect American culture - taken from the band's experience of recording half of previous record This Is a Fix in West Hollywood, California with Butch Walker, the song comments on the Americans' attitude described by Mullen as a "sickly infectious 'sweet dude' attitude they have is a great attribute, anything goes, anything can happen", he also noted the verse section of "Interstate"; "every band is allowed a song where they go 'na na na' and 'oh yeah' this is ours" and that they won't be doing it again.
It's about the way life can be all about seizing moments without having any guarantees, pushing through all that self-doubt and seeing what happens", similarly "High Time" penned by Mullen is about his lack of motivation; "it's about giving it a go.
[7][10] "Sweat Heat Noise", sung by Hawkins, is about the band's live hiatus after touring This Is a Fix in 2008; "it's an optimistic song, it's also about the frustration of waiting for that chance to prove yourself again".
The lyrics of "Race to the Heart of the Sun" came from Hawkins; "I had a revelation when I was falling asleep one night, that all human progress is a series of collisions - from cavemen using clubs as tools, to sex, to war to particle accelerators, to cooking everything.
Mullen noted that the lyrics for "Can I Take You Home" came from an experience at the Egyptian pyramids, where he saw a German woman who he shared eye contact with for a moment.
[11] Tear the Signs Down is closer to the style of the band's debut album Not Accepted Anywhere, with the use of more synthesizer parts and three-part-vocals from Hawkins, Frost and Mullen.
— Rob Hawkins[12]The split itself took place in 2009, with the band giving up release plans for single "Magazines" and instead heading into the studio to work on their third album.
[23] In December 2009 the band appeared in session on BBC Radio Wales, where they performed acoustic versions of "Steve McQueen", "Interstate", a cover of "She Wolf" and second single from Tear the Signs Down "Run & Hide".
Tim Newbound of Rock Sound held high praise for the album, rating it 9/10; praising the band's development as musicians describing the lyrical content of Tear the Signs Down as "soulful, impassioned sensibility that's equally impressive and touching" and that "Tear the Signs Down will surely stand out as one of the finest British records of the year".
's Steve Beebee noted the "slick compromise between the 2006 pop-rock debut Not Accepted Anywhere and the rowdy, Foo Fighters-inspired edge on 2008's This Is a Fix, likening Paul Mullen's vocals to that of Placebo's Brian Molko, whilst disliking the band's "attempt to be arty" in track "High Time", but ultimately praising the band's determination to "keep growing".
No, it's only the return of the rather pointless Welsh band" was the opening to Nick Mitchell of Scottish magazine the Skinny's review of Tear the Signs Down, calling the record "neutered punk, lobotomised indie, [and] whitewashed rock" and rating it one out of 5 stars.
It is just so underwhelming and unengaging", calling it the most forgettable album of the last year "What some of these songs wouldn't give to have Pennie squealing in the background to make them somehow memorable", rating it two out of five.