He developed a creative partnership with their colleague, audio engineer Charles Brungardt, who shared Saadiq's fascination with historic recording techniques and equipment.

An exemplary release of the classic soul revival at the time, it garnered Saadiq a newer, more diverse audience as he toured extensively in support of the album, performing concerts in the US, Europe, and Asia.

He attributed this secluded approach to "the state of the industry" and idealized "bounc[ing] ideas off other people, do some writing with them, take the material to my band and say, 'OK, let's cut it,' with the orchestra already there.

[7] While recording, he immersed himself in a composite character of classic soul singers from videos he watched, including Al Green, Gladys Knight & the Pips, the Four Tops, and the Temptations.

[10][11] Saadiq worked with other musicians, including Joss Stone, percussionist Jack Ashford, string arranger Paul Riser, multi-instrumentalist Bobby Ozuna, singer CJ Hilton, and recording artist Stevie Wonder.

"[6] After having the idea recommended to him by rapper Q-Tip, Saadiq also reached out to Jay-Z to record a featured rap for a remix of "Oh Girl";[4] it was included on the album as a bonus track.

[6] To record vocals for the album, Saadiq used a Shure SM57 dynamic microphone to thicken and distort his voice and embellish his characteristically clean delivery, while Brungardt employed a compressor and a Pro Tools plug-in during the mix.

[17] J. Gabriel Boylan of The New York Observer said that Saadiq expands further beyond his work as a producer for other recording artists, for whom he encouraged a "classic aesthetic, heavy on organic sounds and light on studio magic, deeply indebted to the past and distrustful of easy formulas".

[18] BBC Music's Chris Jones interpreted Saadiq's use of 1960s soul as the album's source material to be a reflection of "America's most recent great political and cultural shift ... the first true post-Obama expression of hope in record form.

"[19] Saadiq viewed his rootsy direction as a response to the state of popular music and found it analogous to modern politics: "You force so many terrible things on people, they get tired of it.

[25] Jon Pareles of The New York Times viewed that Saadiq follows the example of 1960s Motown artists such as Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, and Holland–Dozier–Holland, the label's songwriting and production team.

[18] Christgau interpreted Saadiq's persona on the album to be "a romantic who stays true to the deliberate simplicity" of the song titles, but "never threatens to assume the fetal position if he doesn't get the extreme cuddling he craves.

"[26] Patrick Varine of the Observer-Dispatch asserted that Saadiq deviates significantly from contemporary R&B lyrics: "there are no thinly-veiled food-sex metaphors or pimp fantasies".

"[10] The opening track, "Sure Hope You Mean It", features slightly off-beat percussion, tambourine shakes,[22] and lyrics about a man who awaits a sign of approval from the woman he admires.

[30] "Keep Marchin'", which evoked socially conscious and positive sentiments,[31] was composed in the vein of the Civil rights movement era soul music by artists such as Sam Cooke and the Staple Singers.

[10] "Big Easy", featuring New Orleans-style brass playing,[27] was sung from the point of view of a man in New Orleans who reacts to Hurricane Katrina and looks for his lost lover.

[32] The midtempo "Never Give You Up" is fashioned in Motown's early 1970 sound and,[4] unlike other songs on the album, also incorporates elements from more modern soul music.

"[4] The cover photo was taken at a show in 2006 at Sweet's Ballroom in Oakland, in which Saadiq performed Marvin Gaye's 1965 song "Ain't That Peculiar".

[9] It showed Saadiq singing into a microphone with his arms raised and wearing a suit, tie,[10] and thick-rimmed glasses: a look similar to that of Temptations singer David Ruffin.

"[10] Music journalist Greg Kot believed the cover "evokes the dramatic portraits and color schemes of old-school jazz and soul albums.

[46] In the week leading up to the album's release, Saadiq made promotional appearances at V-103's For Sisters Only, the International Soul Music Summit, and the Uptown Restaurant & Lounge in Atlanta.

[65] Reviewing the album for The Guardian in April 2009, Caroline Sullivan found it flawlessly produced and performed by Saadiq,[68] while Rolling Stone magazine's Will Hermes said the record showcased an original take on classic Northern soul.

[27] Andy Gill of The Independent wrote that it was one of 2008's most captivating albums because "few have managed to retro-fabricate that classic sound so accurately, nor in as many subtle variations" like Saadiq.

"[13] In The Observer, Kitty Empire called the album "both feather-light and substantial" because of how, "unlike most modern records, Saadiq's tunes gather weight the deeper in you go".

[69] He expanded on his praise in Slate, finding that, while "painstakingly retro", Saadiq's achievement "isn't replicating the Motown Sound but writing consistently charming and catchy songs in that style".

[87] Throughout his touring in the US and Europe, Saadiq played various music festivals, including Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, South by Southwest, Voodoo Experience,[92] Bumbershoot, Outside Lands,[3] and Pori Jazz.

[88] After a stretch of summer festival performances in 2009, Saadiq embarked on another leg of concerts during November and December, with Melanie Fiona,[45] Janelle Monáe, and Anjulie as supporting acts.

[102][103] Oliver Wang cited Saadiq's album, along with Solange Knowles' 2008 record Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams, as one of the "retro-soul" efforts that were released by contemporary R&B artists as the music scene peaked in popularity.

"[8] Ken Tucker found it distinct from other soul revival music: "You can reproduce variations on melodies and rhythm, but without an emotional commitment, it's all tedious pandering to baby boomers.

[3][92] The Press of Atlantic City wrote that the album "brought in a whole new generation of Saadiq fans, with songs such as '100 Yard Dash' striking a chord with even ironic teenagers.