If there are cracks to be found on A Flock of Seagulls, they come, unfortunately, from the man who started the band in the first place. Nothing quite outshines the singles, but each song leaves its own distinct impression, and when your singles are as good as “I Ran (So Far Away)” and “Space Age Love Song” are, saying that the album tracks don’t shine just as brightly isn’t as damning an indictment as it seems. The usual timely tropes of the increasing encroachment of technology on modern life (expressed through music made on machines, no less) pops up on the likes of “Modern Love Is Automatic” and “Telecommunication,” but both are lively songs that admirably tackle their subject matter as well as anyone else from the period. The connection between the Seagulls and the likes of U2 (as well as fellow Liverpudlians OMD) is arguably there to be drawn, even if people don’t necessarily make the connection anymore these days.įurthermore, the deep cuts on A Flock of Seagulls show a band that was very willing to explore some interesting ideas, even if they were ideas their contemporaries were also delving into at the time.

Reynolds further asserts himself as the star of the band on the instrumental “D.N.A.,” on which his guitar and the band’s synths combine to create something truly cosmic. In both his technical skill and his use of effects to pair his guitar alongside the synths, Reynolds is the man responsible for elevating A Flock of Seagulls beyond mere pleasant synth-pop, turning singles “I Ran (So Far Away)” and “Space Age Love Song” into futuristic-sounding, heart-on-sleeve epics (even if Mike Score’s lyrics didn’t necessarily match the outsized emotions of the music). While the band made use of synthesizers more often than their contemporaries in the early ‘80s music scene in Liverpool did, the guitar work of Paul Reynolds is easily the most distinct thing about the band. Perhaps the most curious thing about the reputation of A Flock of Seagulls (both the band and the album) is how they’re held up as the example of synth-pop from the era. While calling A Flock of Seagulls a masterpiece would be overselling it, the album is a stunning example of pop songcraft and proof that the group’s brief dominance of MTV and the pop charts wasn’t entirely a fluke.

Yet, beneath the garish image, there was–for a little while, at least–some substance to the band that bears itself out on their debut. Even now, with critical re-evaluation reaching some of the acts of the era that previously seemed destined to be remembered as one-hit novelties, the Seagulls are still either a punchline, cultural shorthand for the most anachronistically ‘80s things one could conceive of. Even with the revival of all things ‘80s that started in the early 2000s and still seems to be going on, most would probably only regard A Flock of Seagulls as a joke involving weird haircuts.

Flock of seagulls haircut