The album marks a departure from the lighter and more soulful aesthetics of Tyler's previous releases Igor (2019) and Flower Boy (2017) in favor of bold beats and raw rhymes reminiscent of his earlier work, influenced by DJ Drama's Gangsta Grillz mixtape series.

The Flowers of Evil), was "originally banned for being too explicit, and Baudelaire himself was prosecuted for indecency", similar to Tyler's evolution from an "angsty teen spewing filth for shock value into sensitive lover man with a mischievous streak".

"[5] The Guardian's Alexis Petridis called the album's stylistic lurches both "unexpected and hugely impressive, the product of an artist with eclectic tastes and a disinclination to make music that fits in with prevalent trends.

"[4] While Call Me If You Get Lost has a very specific underlying narrative lyrically, Ruiz said that the production styles seem to tell the story of Tyler's whole career up to this point: post-Thundercat R&B, a Gravediggaz horrorcore sample, and a Salaam Remi flip comparable to the music of Kendrick Lamar.

[4] Ruiz called the album a return to rap following the pop sound of Igor, though notes that Tyler is also "clearly light years away from the skeletal productions of his first few records.

"[4] Konstantinos Pappis of Our Culture Mag described the album's songs as having "cinematic grandeur and meticulous arrangements that have characterized Tyler's recent material".

[10] Craig Jenkins of Vulture also regarded the album as a step back into "the cranky, devil-may-care style and attitude of his [Tyler, the Creator's] early days" while also channelling "all the ways he's changed since then".

[11] Jenkins highlighted Call Me If You Get Lost as a departure from the "lighter and more soulful aesthetics of Igor in favor of brash beats and raw rhymes... somewhat after the Gangsta Grillz mixtapes of the aughts and early 2010s.

"[11] Chris Deville of Stereogum found that Call Me If You Get Lost has influences of hip hop blockbuster albums, such as The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) and Tha Carter III (2008).

[12] Deville also said that "the sheer grandiosity" of the album – "the elaborate cinematic production, the insane cast of guest rappers" – is reminiscent of Kanye West's earlier music.

"[13] Shorter specifically describes "Wilshire": "He stumbles over words and mumbles parts of a sad story, sounding like someone not fully ready to handle the truth.

[27] On June 22, 2021, Tyler released the album's second single titled "WusYaName" featuring rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again and singer Ty Dolla Sign also accompanied by a self-directed short music video.

[28][29] Employing elements from '90s-era R&B, this song samples H-Town's "Back Seat (Wit No Sheets)" and, unlike "Lumberjack", bears a close resemblance to his recent, more soulful albums.

[9] Clash praised Tyler's "refusal to be caged in by any set sound or genre" and noted tracks "Sweet / I Thought You Wanted to Dance" and "Wilshire" as standouts.

"[47] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian wrote that bursts of "kaleidoscopic synth-pop, soul balladry and jazz sweep you", saying that the album could "take a lot of time to fully unpick, but clearly isn't going to diminish in quality if you do so.

"[7] Ryan Rosenberger of The Line of Best Fit said, "Time will tell exactly where this album lands in Tyler, The Creator's discography, but Call Me If You Get Lost is yet another memorable record from Wolf Haley himself, one that only further cements his status as one of the best artists of his generation".

[51] Luke Morgan Britton from NME enjoyed the album, saying, "The iconoclast confronts cancel culture, his own controversial past and the notion of personal growth on a kaleidoscopic record that reaffirms his greatness".

[5] Pitchfork critic Paul A. Thompson said, "It grants him the freedom to play with tone, to write personally or use his gravelly voice as texture, to treat the harshest raps and the most delicate hooks as mad experiments gone wrong".

[48] Sofie Lindevall of Gigwise summarized: "With his sixth studio album Call Me If You Get Lost, Tyler turns everything up-side-down again, resulting in one of the most dynamic and interesting entries in his discography so far.

"[52] A positive review by Craig Jenkins of Vulture concluded with telling the reader to "Look between the many detailed descriptions of Rolls-Royce interiors, beautiful boats, and international travel, beyond the over half-a-dozen mentions of passports," and that they'll find, "A love story".

[50] Call Me If You Get Lost debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 169,000 album-equivalent units (including 55,000 copies in pure album sales) in its first week.