Sound ... Goodbye to Your Standards

The album was produced by Andy Paley.[9] About half of the songs were written by guitar player David Newton.[10] The album was recorded live in the studio, in about two weeks.[11] Most of its songs are about relationship issues.[12]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[13]
Calgary Herald	B-[14]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[15]
Houston Chronicle	[1]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide	[16]
The Tampa Tribune	[12]

Trouser Press wrote: "Stumbling through faint stabs at blues, beat-era rock'n'roll and ravedelia, the group sounds lost and bored, a plight exacerbated by the dire production, which is not only flat and sloppy but inconsistent at that."[10] Spin panned the "excessive echo, non-distinct, nondescript vocals, and inefficient layers of guitar."[17] The Indianapolis Star opined that "the Drops nearly redeem the lackluster material with some sterling performances."[18]

The St. Petersburg Times determined that "dream-like melodies, stoked by '60s-flavored rhythms, steal effective moments in cuts such as 'Unkind', 'My Shadow Girl' and 'Too High'."[19] The Los Angeles Times deemed the album "perhaps the group's best effort, due to pop-master Andy Paley's production and musical collaboration."[20] The Calgary Herald stated: "Soft and accessible, it's also too safe and a little bit too familiar."[14]

AllMusic wrote that "Sound is a reminder of how most alternative rock, in the months before Nirvana broke, was just as boring and predictable as anything in the mainstream."[13]