Simpson has stated that this album represents a new phase in his career and was not preceded by promotional singles,[2] but will be supported with a tour under his proper name with Johnny Blue Skies as a special guest.

[3] Simpson chose to adopt a stage name for Passage du Desir in order to remain in line with his stance of only releasing five original studio albums under his actual name;[4] this excludes Cuttin' Grass, Vol.

[8] At Consequence of Sound, Mary Siroky called this "a beautifully layered LP" that mixes genres and moods as diverse as desire and humor that leaves listeners "with the sense that Simpson is just warming up".

[9] Writing for Glide Magazine, Shawn Donohue stated that this release includes all of "Simpson's core", with "the mixing of outlaw-based country with classic Nashville pop and slightly psychedelic flourishes", with particularly strong production.

[14] Editors at Pitchfork scored this release 8.5 out of 10, declaring it among the Best New Music and critic Stephen M. Deusner called it an "outstanding album [that] expertly balances cosmic and outlaw country" and praised the relatability of the lyrics.

[17] Jacob Paul Nielsen of Stereogum stated that "shrouded in the new identity of Johnny Blues Skies, Simpson has crafted some of his best songs to date", comparing the use of alter egos to David Bowie and Bob Dylan.