Arab Strap's music features frank, unflinching narratives about sex and drugs spoken/sung in a thick Scottish brogue, often backed by drum machines, electronic loops, and sparse guitar melodies. A major part of the Glasgow music scene that spawned Belle & Sebastian and Mogwai, they were among Scotland's most acclaimed bands of the 1990s and 2000s. Centered around the duo of Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton, the group's sound became richer and more ambitious as they toured and collaborated with additional musicians. While early albums such as the 1998 breakthrough Philophobia were sparse and somber, the band's music became more polished and slightly more optimistic with subsequent efforts such as 2001's The Red Thread and 2005's The Last Romance, which was announced as their final album at the time. Both members became highly prolific and acclaimed solo artists in their own right, and following reunion gigs during the 2010s, Arab Strap released their seventh studio album, As Days Get Dark, in 2021.