[2] At the time of its release, Almond himself stated it would be his final album of original material as he had increasingly become more interested in recording pre-existing songs (as many of his covers albums have showcased), but this would prove to be untrue and he went on to record further original material afterwards.

The album was released in a standard one-disc jewel case and a limited edition two-disc digipak in a slip-sleeve version, featuring seven bonus tracks on the second disc.

[6] Simon Price in his review from The Independent called the album "an autobiography and also a hymn to the underground" and stated that Almond "is determined to squeeze life for its every last drop".

[8] The AllMusic review praised the production as flowing "freely from spare, late-night-in-the-cocktail-lounge settings to big, bold, orchestral statements".

It also had further commentary on the bonus tracks available with the limited edition version of the album, stating that the "more minimal, acoustic-based" songs shine "a brighter light on Almond's songwriting abilities".