The National began writing Trouble Will Find Me towards the end of the band's tour in support of previous album, High Violet (2010).

'"[3] Berninger, however, became inspired by guitarists Aaron and Bryce Dessner's recent demo recordings, and subsequently completed his writing contributions to the album's opening track, "I Should Live in Salt", a day after initially hearing it.

Bass guitarist Scott Devendorf stated that Clubhouse was chosen primarily to establish camaraderie amongst the band, noting: "The impetus to record upstate-- cooking, eating, working, hanging out together - was to achieve this music-camp feel.

Guitarist, keyboardist and co-producer Aaron Dessner noted, "That night, by candlelight in the total darkness, we got really drunk and played the songs acoustically.

Recording at Clubhouse, however, was once again derailed by Hurricane Sandy, with Aaron Dessner stating, "I drove back into the city because I was worried about my family and the potential flooding, and got stuck there for four days.

"[3] Dessner, who co-produced Trouble Will Find Me alongside his brother Bryce, noted that his experiences producing both Sharon Van Etten's Tramp (2012) and Local Natives' Hummingbird (2013) led him to understand the importance of "constructive, positive dialogue" in the recording studio, whereas before he and his bandmates would often argue throughout the process.

"[3] The album cover is cropped from a photograph of a live performance art piece by Korean artist Bohyun Yoon, titled Fragmentation.

The video was filmed off the coast of a nature reserve in Perth, Australia in February 2014, right before the end of the Trouble Will Find Me tour, and shows Matt Berninger swimming and playing with a group of fur seals.

[24] Consequence of Sound's Megan Ritt wrote that Trouble Will Find Me "outlines the confidence to expand and experiment with the formula, paired with the skills to do it justice.

[32] At Now, Samantha Burgess wrote that "on Trouble Will Find Me, they’ve perfected it, knowing when a hook should explode and when to hold back and let Berninger’s signature, sombre baritone take over.

"[37] Paul Mardles of The Observer affirmed that The National "have perfected their ruminative rock, the beauty of their intricate arrangements ensuring the end product never sounds pedestrian", and called them "the real stars of the show.

"[38] In Uncut, Louis Pattison stated the album's songs "suggest an uncertain soundtrack can still be a source of comfort" and as a result, "for the first time, The National sound relaxed in their skin.

"[24] James Christopher Monger of AllMusic stated that "for better or for worse, they perfected their sound the last time around, so it’s hard to fault them for sticking so close to the fire.

"[25] In a mixed review, Q stated that "for a band who sing so often about matters of the heart and emotional connection, much of Trouble Will Find Me sounds oddly on autopilot.