RED FLAG – NAIVE ART

Naïve Art is the debut album by San Diego (by way of Liverpool) synth-pop duo Red Flag, consisting of brothers Chris and Mark Reynolds. This is the 30th Anniversary reissue of the vinyl which has not been available since 1989. It contains all original versions from the initial release along with four additional bonus tracks. The original pressing was a single vinyl release with all the tracks severely edited down, so that it could fit on a single record. This has been remedied for this new re-release. And unlike the original ’89 vinyl release, this deluxe reissue features a gatefold cover and printed lyrics. 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. Naïve Art is a strong debut and has often been deemed the perfect synth-pop album. The combination of cold synth beats and the atmospheric vocal approach (similar to Depeche’s Martin Gore) makes perfect dance-floor fodder for the disaffected goth-pop club crowd.