" Dawes accent their twangy West Coast sound with glassy synthesizers, slippery, Eric Clapton-esque guitars, and jazzy piano lines, smartly evoking the '80s adult contemporary albums of artists like Bruce Hornsby, Fleetwood Mac, and Steve Winwood ... As dark as Goldsmith gets on Passwords, he remains hopeful, even romantic, summoning images of Romeo and Juliet and "Cusack holding that stereo" on the tender love song "Never Gonna Say Goodbye." It's that bittersweet message of hope for humanity on Passwords that resonates the strongest".