The Liverpool duo
Red Flag (brothers Chris and Mark Reynolds) released their debut album,
Naïve Art, in 1989.
Red Flag, like other late-'80s/early-'90s bands such as
Camouflage and
Cause & Effect, offer a similar mix of gloomy, synthesizer-driven dance-pop made popular by synth rock kings
Depeche Mode. Derivative yet melodic,
Naïve Art is a decent debut, though it eventually runs out of steam.
Red Flag's obvious debt to
Depeche Mode is immediately apparent in the minor club hits "If I Ever" and "Russian Radio." Though the production is a bit rough around the edges, the combination of cold synth beats and the emotionless vocal approach (similar to
Depeche's
Martin Gore) makes perfect dancefloor fodder for the disaffected goth pop club crowd. Like
Depeche Mode's best work, what makes
Naïve Art bearable is
Red Flag's obvious gift of songcraft. Both "If I Ever" and "Russian Radio" are comparable to some of
Depeche's best work, and although much of
Naïve Art sounds the same after a while, the album flows along quite nicely. Those who criticize
Depeche Mode for being pretentious and "wimpy" certainly won't find any redeeming qualities in
Red Flag, but
Naïve Art should satisfy fans of the genre. Recommended. ~ William Cooper