 Unlike the band's two earlier albums, which were more in the vein of revivalist music and influenced by songwriters such as John Lennon and Elvis Costello, Writer's Block marked a more experimental and 'indie rock' approach.The album is notable for containing several tracks that feature prominent use of vocalisation techniques as major instruments; single Young Folks is the most well-known, but single 'Objects Of My Affection' and album tracks 'Up Against The Wall' and 'The Chills' are also examples of this.The album version of the track 'Let's Call It Off' contains a sample of the song 'Ancient Curse', the B-Side to the Young Folks single, at the end.