A Ghost Is Born was released commercially on June 22, 2004, debuting at No. 8 on the Billboard chart.

The album, which Mehr calls an eclectic array of dark ballads, upbeat pop songs, Krautrock chug, noise rock freakouts, and roots rock abandon, was widely acclaimed as one of 2004s best, appearing in year-end lists of Mojo, NPR, NME, the Associated Press, The Wire, Rolling Stone, the Village Voice, and Uncut, among many others.

The album earned the band its first Grammy, for Best Alternative Music Album. The album also won a Grammy for Best Recording Package.