[1] David Holmes, composing the album, drew inspiration from Herbert Hink (German minimalist pianist), Jesus and Mary Chain, La Düsseldorf, Blondie, early Brian Eno, Manoir, the Beach Boys, and Soft Machine.

[5] The critics noticed a varied influence palette of influence reflected in the album's sound, most notably sourcing from Jim Reid's vocal style from The Jesus and Mary Chain;[6] paying tribute to the psychedelic and hypnotic aspects of Primal Scream, Stone Roses, Spiritualized, Stereolab, My Bloody Valentine; and the motorik rhythm of Krautrock band Neu!, in particular on "Melanie".

The first half "vividly approximates the decadent, ultraviolet-lit scene at a student-disco circa 1990, with a steady clip of head-rushed, stoned-immaculate pop songs".

[7] Thom Jurek, writing for AllMusic, called it "engaging, at times stunning", praising the pop aesthetic of the upbeat songs, while remarking that "there is that sadness at this album's heart that draws one in; it doesn't feel like mope or exorcism, just personal".

[13] The song "I Heard Wonders" was featured in the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics[14] and, later in 2012, as the theme for the first series of Dara Ó Briain's Science Club.