The album was written in New York, London, and at Vince Clarke's cabin studio in Maine, between January and June 2011, following Erasure's short break, which found Andy Bell recording and releasing his second solo album Non-Stop (2010), and Vince Clarke reuniting with former Yazoo bandmate Alison Moyet for the Reconnected tour.

Upon release, AllMusic felt that the duo's collaboration with Frankmusik was a "wise choice", adding "the results are generally quite good, sometimes excellent".

"[6] The Independent described the album as "gentle, blissful and devoid of the exuberant electro romps of yesteryear", and felt Bell's voice displayed "less vibrato" and "more control".

"[11] No Ripcord believed the album to be "updated take on how you'd expect an Erasure record to sound: accessible songs, flamboyant vocals and fizzing synths".

"[8] The Guardian commented: "...stuffed with big, bright synthetic dance tracks straining for "feelgood": floor-fillers by numbers, were they not dull to the point of paralysing.

"[7] NOW felt the duo's "swooshing melodies" and "yearning lyrics" were suited to the "epic builds, vocal effects and fist-pumping energy of American dance pop".