After a twelve-year gap, Tony Levin reprised his role as one of the album's bass guitarists – he had previously played on Walk Under Ladders in 1981 and The Key in 1983.

[4] "Shapes and Sizes", which contains the line "Obituary columns are filled with love", was inspired by the death of British journalist and broadcaster Brian Redhead.

[7] William Ruhlmann of AllMusic commented: "the album is an interesting mixture of the styles Armatrading has employed at various times in her career, from the spare, intimate approach associated with her "Love And Affection" phase to the pop-rock of "Me Myself I".

[3] Steve Appleford of the Los Angeles Times praised the album's "subtle emotional ambience" and "raw, smoky intensity".

[9] A. D. Amorosi, writing in the Philadelphia City Paper, praised Armatrading's vocals as being "espresso dark, cigar smoky, hearty and passionate", and said that the album "contains deceptively simple melodies trimmed with ornate baubles, including the laconic blues of "Lost the Love" and the ominously catchy "Shapes & Sizes".