If you listen to some Dream Academy songs and imagine them being backed by synths in the style of early 1980s bands like Spandau Ballet or ABC or Kids In the Kitchen, they would sound quite a lot like those bands. What I think sets Dream Academy above those acts is that their sound was much more organic, generally guitar-based, and it did not sound like a programmed machine.
I realise I am showing my bias here; I really really disliked a lot of that early 80s synth-pop, and when DA came along it sounded like a breath of fresh air.
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