Love and Other Acts of Subversion is the product of three years of writing and six months of intensive recording. Forest's lyrical themes of love, spirit, and environmentalism are front and center, along with harmonies by Courtney Renea and Jacob Sellars. Intricate guitar and piano instrumentation supports the lyrics, with a strong foundation of drums and bass, clothed in electric guitar and live string arrangements. Recorded with meticulous attention to detail, the tracks preserve the original raw and honest character of the live performances.

The lyrics revolve around two main themes: Unconditional love and environmentalism, asking the question: What kind of world do we want to live in? The songs hold a central belief that we are powerful beings, capable of creating any kind of future we want. The album's tone remains unabashedly optimistic and empowering, even while questioning some of the harshest realities of modern civilization – exploitation, loneliness, environmental destruction, and control. Radical environmentalist ballads like Songlines and Earth Back demonstrate a vision of a more beautiful world where we find healthy, reciprocal relationships with each other and the earth, while tracks like I'll Meet You There and Wolves explore the deeper interpersonal struggles we face today to make these changes possible.