Pia saw it as a "marked improvement" from their debut, praising the "newly discovered emotional depth to Fray's songwriting", while lambasting the band for not pushing themselves beyond their influences. The rock balladry of "Cameo Brooch" is followed by "Scratch Your Name Upon My Lips", a love song detailing a long distance relationship that spans 6,000 miles, incorporating rhythms used by Franz Ferdinand. musicOMH contributor Camilla Pia noted that the Oasis influence of their debut had "pretty much disappeared" with Falcon, though it was replaced with a " Glasvegas, U2 and most of all Elbow" sound.

The Electric Lick EP was released on 5 December 2010, consisting of two new songs "Three Months" and "Swear Down", a cover of " Zero" (2009) by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, in addition to "Lullaby" and "Scratch Your Name Upon My Lips"; the ten-inch vinyl edition included . Chris Roberts of BBC Music felt there was "enough musical flourishes and pining ballads to earn the band the Elbow comparisons they blatantly desire". Between June and August 2010, the band performed at the Glastonbury, Isle of Wight, T in the Park, iTunes, Oxegen, Underage and V Festivals. In November 2010, the band played at The Big Reunion festival; the following month, they embarked on a short tour of the UK, with support from Miles Kane and I Am Kloot.Laver criticized the band for offering "nothing more than backing for the entirety of the record," which he felt ran at a "rather pedestrian pace".

It was promoted with a tour of the UK in the following month and an appearance at a Teenage Cancer Trust benefit show. Wie anscheinend auch schon im Voralbum stecke eine Prise Franz Ferdinand drin, einige Lieder erinnerten mich an die kürzlich hochgeschossenen Glasvegas.Following this, the band ended the year with two one-off gigs, one at Parr Hall in Warrington and the second at the Central Convention Complex in Manchester with support from Buzzcocks and the Whip.

They played two UK shows prior to supporting Morrissey on his tour of the United States in April and May 2009. The band promoted the album with two tours of the UK, shortly after its release, and one near the end of 2008. The Japanese version included "Meanwhile Back at the Ranch", "Revolver" and the non-album track "That Kiss" as bonus tracks.These are strong, conventional songs full of clever flicks and feints, deliciously produced by Ed (Suede, Pulp, White Lies) Buller.

For seven weeks from August 2009, the band recorded their follow-up at ICP studios in Brussels, Belgium. You Overdid It Doll" charted at number 24 in Scotland and number 28 in the UK, while "Take Over the World" peaked at number 114 in the UK. Ally Carnwath of The Observer echoed a similar sentiment, stating that "[t]here's a development of sorts here but it extends only to leavening brash indie swagger with bolted-on string sections and heart-on-sleeve anthemics". Jude, Liam Fray and his Middleton homeboys present an album to seal their role as the Stereoasisphonics-lookalikes that it’s okay to like. Phares theorised the shift in sound "comes from a need for the band to prove that there’s more to their sound than breathless rock and sneering lyrics".

AllMusic reviewer Heather Phares said Buller "helped them slows things down and take them more seriously" as musicians.