The former's production consists of post-punk guitars, a robotic synth hook, a motorik-leaning beat and influences of Britpop, synth-pop, pop, pop-punk and garage punk.

Upon release, "Give Yourself a Try" received positive reviews from contemporary music critics, who compared it to the Strokes and praised the lyrics and production, noting the song expands the 1975's sound while retaining their signature style.

[15] The singer uses sarcasm, self-deprecation and sardonicism in the free-associative lyrics,[17][27] which focus on modern debates, his musings of ageing and identity, the suicide of a young fan,[16][28] introspection, isolation,[26] frivolity and responsibility.

[19] Healy speaks from a position of authority and offers advice: "You learn a couple things when you get to my age / Like friends don't lie and it all tastes the same in the dark".

[29] The song focuses on regret and self-criticism in the verses, countered by the choruses, which display a more uplifting tone as the singer repeats: "Won't you give yourself a try?

"[22][30] Elsewhere, Healy sings about finding grey hairs in a spliff, becoming "spiritually enlightened at 29", contracting STDs, settling into a new version of oneself and the absence of context in modern internet dialogue.

[19][24][26] Lars Gotrich of NPR compared "Give Yourself a Try" to a cross between the "quirky-guitar-jangle" of Phoenix and a sped-up version of "Instant Crush" (2013) by Daft Punk and Julian Casablancas.

[19] Ben Beaumont-Thomas and Laura Snapes of The Guardian compared the song's riff to Room on Fire "rendered as a polyphonic ringtone", while noting the lyrics veer between ludicrous and devoutly sincere, which "[suggest] being kinder to yourself as you grow up".

[26] NME ranked the song at number 49 on their year-end list, with Smith calling it a musical curveball that sets up a theme of introspection present in A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships.

[36] Jon Pareles and Giovanni Russonello of The New York Times included "Give Yourself a Try" on their weekly playlist, with the former praising the song's production and "constant bite".

[12] Andrew Sacher of BrooklynVegan praised them for continuing to change their sound in interesting ways, noting "Give Yourself a Try" unexpectedly touches on darker topics that appropriately accompany its "sugar-sweet" melodies.

[8] Phil Witmer of Vice noted the song pivots away from the 1980s-inspired sophisti-pop of I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It, while praising the humorous lyrics and guitar riff, commenting that it "would have lit up the New York City indie rock scene in 2002".

[37] Joshua Copperman of Spin said "Give Yourself a Try" is emblematic of the 1975's signature sound, while noting it is more minimal than their previous works, comparing the song to a major-key version of "Disorder" if it were rendered by the Strokes.

[20] Michael Cragg of The Guardian praised the song's youthful zest and observed a departure from the band's previous INXS-inspired sound, writing it amalgamates influences from Joy Division, the Strokes' "12:51" (2003) and mid-2000s pop-punk.

[25] Similarly, Maura Johnston of Rolling Stone compared the song to the Strokes' "Hard to Explain" (2001), saying it falls somewhere within the jittery, riff-heavy modern-rock ideal.

[19] Claire Biddles of The Line of Best Fit said Healy fulfils his promise of sincerity and solemnity, believing these characteristics were more pronounced on "Give Yourself a Try" compared to their previous works.

"[41] Libby Cudmore of Paste said the song is reminiscent of MGMT's "Time to Pretend" (2008), opining that Healy's "nasally vocals [paint a] melancholic picture of a misspent adulthood".

"[52] The video opens with Healy laying on a therapy bed,[53] discussing his psyche and confidential thoughts regarding his personal issues, saying: "You know, the best thing is to actually be as earnest as I feel; because I know what I'm doing, just everything I do, it knows what it is.

[53][54] The singer–shown with bright orange hair and a purple smokey eye–then joins the other members of the 1975–all of whom wear matching black suits–in a mirrored room to jam and dance to the song.

[53] Courtney Gould of Soundigest thought the therapy scene is meant to symbolise Healy's personal growth and overall changes as he has aged, while the teddy bear signifies how the singer is unable to find solutions to his problems through others' help.