In January 2012, the 1975 was formed by lead singer Matty Healy, drummer George Daniel, guitarist Adam Hann and bassist Ross MacDonald, who had played music together since 2002.

[6][7] Its production contains "angelic" whispers, twinkling chimes,[8] "icy" and "wintry" bells, fragmented drum beats, a "shadowy" synth line,[6] swirling and "shimmering" ambient guitars, "gloomy" vocals, pianos and low, "patient" and "synth-heavy" harmonics.

[4][5][7] Man said the track "echoes of the wintry feel" of Sigur Rós,[5] while Jared Cohen of The Journal described the song as "Bon Iver on synths", stating it is evocative of the xx and M83.

[5][4][9] Composed of "maxed out" drum machines, "buzzing" keyboards and gated percussion, the track's lyrics revolve around the theme of urban loneliness, with Healy singing: "If you wanna find love then you know where the city is".

[5][7][9] Ian Cohen of Pitchfork said the song "confidently [thumps] like the best Big Pink singles do",[7] while American Songwriter's Robert Crawford remarked that it "sounded like anthemic British indie-rock filtered through the neon disco ball of M83's dance-pop".

[5][4] A torch song,[7] its production is devoid of drums, consisting of merely Healy's vocals, "moody" soundscapes, atmospheric synths, simple, "gently" chiming guitar reverb and emo melodies.

[5] In his four-out-of-five star review, Jared Cohen viewed the EP's lack of cohesion in a positive light, stating it showcased the band's ability to produce a variety of styles.