Recorded throughout 2008 and 2009, the album is the band's first since the departure of keyboard player Spencer Albee, and their first full-length release of all-new material since ¡Viva Nueva!.

Drummer Tony McNaboe explained that Albee was leaving on good terms, and that the album would continue as planned with multi-instrumentalist Nigel Hall from Lettuce filling in on keyboards.

Little was heard from the band about the new album until August 2009 when the song "The Same Does Not Apply" was premiered on local alternative rock station WCYY.

[3] At the festival, the band premiered the songs "Arizona", "Like The Blues", "Kathleen Caffeiene", "The Downside Of Looking Up" and "The Same Does Not Apply", closing with a full-band version of "The Smallest Spark".

"[4] The album was released on Digipak CD to all Bull Moose Music stores four days early on November 7, 2009, to coincide with their show at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, Massachusetts.

The inner artwork features a few references to the art from Light At the End, including a man dressed in a rabbit suit and two canoers in a psychedelic landscape.