According to AllMusic, the band embraced "a more gentle, contemplative, and organic sound on "Forever Changes"," with much of the album "built around interwoven acoustic guitar textures and subtle orchestrations, with strings and horns both reinforcing and punctuating the melodies." Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman had suggested that Love "advance backwards" by embracing the more subtle approach of folk music, and Lee—while typically independent in his musical directions—accepted Holzman's suggestion, setting the foundational approach to the "Forever Changes" recording sessions. "Pitchfork" stated that Lee paired his "dark, discomfiting lyrics" with music that draws from rock, psychedelia, folk, pop, classical, and even mariachi music, but which is not reducible to these influences.