In 2008, the band toured Japan, played a one-off show in New York, performed at Download Festival, and headlined the Ben and Jerry's Sundae festival Twilight of the Innocents received generally positive reviews from music critics, some of whom commented highlighted the use of strings, and the band's consistent writing.

[3] During 2005, frontman Tim Wheeler and bassist Mark Hamilton moved from London to New York City, while drummer Rick McMurray remained in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Recording was completed by January 2007, and Michael H. Brauer was brought in to mix the tracks at Quad Studios in New York City.

As a result, Hamilton had to be more creative with his bass playing,[20] Paul Buckmaster arranged and conducted the strings heard throughout the album.

[11] The Nerve writer Adam Simpkins compared it to the band's debut studio album, 1977 (1996), "in that the songs are crisp, overflowing with emotional angst and sing-a-long choruses.

[21] The album opens with the indie rock track "I Started a Fire", and is followed by the indie-disco song "You Can't Have It All", which features flamenco guitar parts.

[19][21] The album closes with the progressive rock-influenced "Twilight of the Innocents", which features Muse-styled drum parts, electronic flourishes and a string section.

[35][48] "End of the World" was released on 10 September 2007; the CD version featured "Seventh Circle", "Wasted on You", and "Statis in Darkness".

[47] In March 2008, the band went on a brief tour of Japan, before playing a one-off show in New York City on St. Patrick's Day.

[59] Stylus Magazine writer Nick Southall wrote that beside "a few clichéd song titles and lyrics", Twilight of the Innocents "demonstrates a refreshing maturity and breadth".

"[60] Hot Press's Kilian Murphy wrote that the band "successfully re-ignited their creative spark", marking a "welcome return to form.

"[27] Daniel Martin of NME called the album a "reassuringly pop collection" that was "stretched out with strings and emotion", and added that it was "an artistic watermark" for the band.

He went on further to state that some of tracks "go a little too far with the crunching stop-start bits and displays of power, at the expense of songwriting, ... but otherwise, this is a good album".

[18] Drowned in Sound's Mike Haydock said the album was "surprisingly, frustratingly, bafflingly good", complete with "fresh and consistent" tracks.

"[16] AllMusic reviewer Jon O'Brien wrote that the album "focuses on a mature, emotive, and cinematic direction which showcases ... Wheeler's underrated songwriting abilities."

Though he said Wheeler's "lackluster vocals remain a constant hindrance, his thin, reedy tones often struggling to make any impact", it was overall a "reassuringly strong collection of potential hits ... it's a pretty accomplished swansong.

"[19] The Line of Best Fit writer Rich Hughes said the majority of the tracks were "drenched in stacks of production", complete with "[s]trings, sirens and layered guitars ... [that] take the edge off proceedings."

"[28] The Guardian's Dorian Lynskey called it "far more adventurous than one might expect", and upon highlighting the strings and piano, he stated that the "wheel remains un-reinvented, but at least it has acquired a new lick of paint.

"[61] In a similar sentiment, Simpkins said: "Like the last few albums by Weezer, Twilight's tracks all follow the same stale formula with a painfully unoriginal production".