The Charlatans received generally favourable reviews from music critics, some of whom praised the musicianship; retrospective comments by journalists said it helped prolong the band's career.

[5][6] Further touring engagements were cancelled due to a cyst growing on bassist Martin Blunt's buttocks; the band subsequently took a break for a few weeks.

[7] While on a week-long holiday in Costa del Sol, Spain, with their respective girlfriends, vocalist Tim Burgess and guitarist Mark Collins began a songwriting partnership.

Blunt soon became aware of Burgess and Collins' fixation on country and western music, which was shifting the songs away from the funk-oriented grooves and mod sound that he preferred.

[14] They promptly fired Hillage, much to the chagrin of Burgess, who had hoped to facilitate a long-term working partnership with him after having issues trusting anyone when making their second studio album Between 10th and 11th.

[20] They recorded the backing track to "Here Comes a Soul Saver" at The Coach House room at the nearby Rockfield Studios, which had been made over three takes and switched together from the best two of those.

[25] AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine felt that the band "incorporat[ed] heavy dance elements without losing its core sound".

[19] "Nine Acre Court" came about following an evening spent clubbing in Bristol; its title referred to flats in Salford, where Collins' girlfriend lived, and he wrote some material for the album.

[13][18] The song's introduction was taken from a tape that drummer Jon Brookes had made of himself walking around Oxford Street in London before being stopped by members of the Jesus Army, ending with the sound of a bus turning up.

[30] "Feeling Holy" existed as an instrumental that Blunt, Brookes, and keyboardist Rob Collins had written for sometime, which Burgess felt came across as akin to "Jesus Hairdo", a track from Up to Our Hips.

[21][30] He wanted it to evoke "Blowin' in the Wind" (1963) by Bob Dylan, while the chorus was similar to "Bring On the Lucie (Freda Peeple)" (1973) by John Lennon.

[21][32] Burgess wrote the lyrics in a pub on Wardour Street in London; Mark Collins thought his guitarwork in it recalled P. P. Arnold's version of "Angel of the Morning" (1967).

[30] Tim Mohr of Consumable Online compared it to the work of Oasis, with its lyrics from a "mildly threatening, slightly acidic point of view".

He mentioned that a lot of country songs dealt with "struggle and survival, [...] trouble and joy, and that felt like what had happened to us over the years".

After clearing it with the band's manager Steve Harrison and Martin Mills of Beggars Banquet Records, Heavenly became their PR agency.

[17] "Crashin' In" was released as the lead single from the album on 28 December 1994, having been held back from its intended Boxing Day date due to that being a bank holiday.

[21] They embarked on a tour of the UK in April 1995, with support from the Rainkings and the Bluetones; the following month, "Just Lookin'" and "Bullet Comes" were released as the joint second single on 8 May 1995.

[48] Beggars Banquet were not fond of releasing it and "Crashin' In" so far out from the album, while Burgess said the band "knew better – we were really getting back the confidence and belief we had in the first place".

[49] The band made six festival appearances over the subsequent four months, including Glastonbury, Brighton, Phoenix, and T in the Park in the UK, Benicàssim in Spain, and Waterfestival Stockholm.

[44] The music video, which was directed by Lindy Heymann, shows the band wearing gangster clothing, influenced by the 1970 film Performance.

[53][54] "Just When You're Thinkin' Things Over" was promoted with an appearance on Top of the Pops and a Mark Radcliffe radio session where they performed it alongside "Crashin' In", "Just Lookin'", and "Here Comes a Soul Saver".

[57] Soon after this, the band embarked on a tour of the US, which was shortened due to juice manufacturer Ocean Spray pulling their sponsorship because of Collins' past criminal record.

[67] This EP was re-pressed on vinyl to coincide with the 2020 Record Store Day event, which included a remix of "Patrol", a song originally from Up to Our Hips, as an additional track.

[70] NME writer Keith Cameron said the album "feels unequivocally like a statement of intent", adding that with the various influences, the band was capable of "absorbing the sensibility wholesale, while leaving the incriminating specifics alone".

[72] Wills felt that the band were "really living up to their potential of that earlier Manchester melting pot, truly and thrillingly exploring the possibilities" of their sound.

[74] Author Susan Wilson, in her book The Charlatans – Northwich Country Boys (1997), said the album "would completely revive their career, putting them back on the map as one of Britain's best bands of the decade".

"[24] Author Dave Thompson, in his book Alternative Rock (2000), wrote that the album "continues precisely where Hips left off, only now the group's self-confidence comes into play as well.