[7] As of November 2013, the album has sold 188,000 copies in the U.S.[8] The title track "Vice Verses" was first performed by Jon Foreman at an acoustic benefit show on April 12, 2009.

However, nothing more was heard about the project until July 2010, when Jon Foreman and guitarist Drew Shirley said the band was aiming to complete Vice Verses by the summer of 2011.

[13] On several occasions during the summer, the band stated that they were pushing for Vice Verses to be a double album,[14][15] but they eventually decided to scale the project back down to a single disc collection.

In January 2011, the band began the official recording for the project, announcing via email that they had enlisted Neal Avron and Mike Elizondo as producers for the album.

At Christianity Today, Jeremy V. Jones rated it four stars, and wrote that "Vice Verses pounds out Switchfoot's evolving soundtrack for a messy yet grand spiritual journey.

"[27] At CCM Magazine, Matt Conner rated it a perfect five stars, and noted that "Just as Good Monsters cemented Jars of Clay's greatness over a decade into a stellar career, so Vice Verses establishes Switchfoot in much the same way.

"[28] Johan Wippsson of Melodic rated it four stars, and proclaimed that "once again a very good album with a perfect balance of beautiful melodies and alternative ideas where you will find new harmonies each listening.

"[33] At Jesus Freak Hideout, Roger Gelwicks rated it a perfect five stars, and praised the album for being "a significant achievement for Switchfoot and is, beyond a doubt, 2011's crowning tour de force.

[31] At New Release Tuesday, Marcus Hathcock rated it a perfect five stars, and called it "career defining material" because "The kind of gripping, moving, rocking art Switchfoot produces is difficult to find.

"[35] Founder, Kevin McNeese rated it a perfect five stars, and affirmed that "Vice Verses is just as good as Hello Hurricane, my top pick a few years back, and it's great to continue to witness the latest surge of this incredible band.

"[38] Derek Walker also of The Phantom Tollbooth rated it four-and-a-half stars, and stated that he even liked and preferred this to their greatest hit album, which he wrote "It looks like the next best-of should beat the first.

"[39] At Worship Leader, Greg Wallace wrote that "Some of the music on Vice Verses actually hints at stepping up Switchfoot's already formidable intensity level.

"[40] Chad Grischow of IGN rated it six-and-a-half, and he cautioned that the album felt like a "largely lifeless listen" because "more often than not Switchfoot feels like a worn out, uninterested band on their latest.

"[44] However, Allmusic's Matt Collar rated it three stars, and noted that the album come from a "creatively energized and committed state of mind that should please longtime fans and produce more than a few ear-catching moments.