The album comes two years after their previous release, Granddance, during which time the band was touring the US with the likes of The Fratellis and Tokyo Police Club, with a few forays home riding shotgun to Silverchair, Modest Mouse and LCD Soundsystem.

They shot videos in Wyoming gas stations, played impromptu gigs in South Dakota sound factories, partied with Hugh Jackman and Steve Malkmus and even managed to film a 26-episode children's odyssey for Disney called ‘Alphabreaks’.

Under the expert A&R guidance of Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Beck, Ladytron, Nine Inch Nails) and respected American co-producer Chris Coady (TV on the Radio), Dappled Cities got busy making music.

"[4] (All songs written, arranged and performed by Dappled Cities) Dappled Cities Ned Cooke Tim Derricourt Allan Kumpulainen Alex Moore David Rennick Others: Alex Love – French Horn Madeleine Hawcroft – Flute Sebastian Ranguis, Des Miller, Kim Waldock, Ned Cooke – Strings Produced by: Chris Coady and Dappled Cities Engineered by: Simon Berckelman Assistant Engineered by: Jean-Paul Fung Mixed by: Chris Coady ("Hold Your Back", "The Night Is Young At Heart", "Don't Stop There", "Middle People", "Apart", "Stepshadows"), Wayne Connolly ("The Price", "Slow For Me, My Island", "Miniature Alas", "Don't Stop There"), Scott Horscroft ("Answer Is Zero", "Wooden Ships", "Slow For Me, My Island", "Middle People"), Dappled Cities Mastered by: Louie Teran A&R by: Justin Meldal-Johnsen Dangerbird Records: Jeff Castelaz, Peter Walker Design by: Tim Rogers Photography by: Wilk The Vine – "Trying to dissect Dappled Cities is a bit like trying to pin down a mirage.

"[5] StarPulse.com – "The third release from Dappled Cities finds the Australian quartet continuing to develop its strangely retro-futuristic sound, one that blends cheesy sonics (all tracks on Zounds feature the Gakken, a 40 cardboard synthesizer from Japan) with self-consciously uneven vocals and moments of sheer, glistening pop transcendence...

True enough, the mix of buzzing, whirring, gurgling, and thumping that starts the recording with "Hold Your Back" establishes the new and improved Dappled Cities as an Of-Montreal-cum-Animal-Collective-cum-Shins amalgamation that just wants to blow your mind, not with wacky exuberance or springy lyrics but with a complete tonal invention, combing through the lessons alternative music learned in the last 20 years and making notes about each of them.