 "Missing" was critically acclaimed by the majority of music critics, who praised the composition and generally considered it a highlight on the album.Prior to "Missing", Everything but the Girl was most known as an indie band; as with many UK bands of the era, their music had folk and jazz leanings.They had released eight albums prior to "Amplified Heart" and had a number-three UK singles chart success in 1988 ("I Don't Want to Talk About It"), but were relatively unknown in the United States.