"As an album from start to finish it's a challenge and a reward. As a collection of Orchestral Manoeuvre songs, it scores somewhat lower on the whistle-at-a-bus-stop scale."
Paul Colbert, Melody Maker

"Dazzle Ships is a strong, brave album. It swings from sounding impossibly naive (almost desperately so - as though OMD were trying to capture that fresh first album innocence all over again) to convincing as a versatile, perflexing (sic) change in their accepted style and beauty."
Johnny Waller, Sounds

"Much like the camouflaged craft of its title, it sounds - in the words of Andy - 'erratic and fractured'. Apart from a gorgeous potential hit, Telegraph, it's composed of either precise pop structures with political or intellectual statements or, simply, experiments in abstract sound. Adventurous and, mostly, rewarding stuff."
Mark Ellen, Smash Hits

"To describe the LP as 'difficult' and 'fractured' is an understatement. Quite simply it's a collection of sure-fire OMD pop songs, GE and the likely follow-up Telegraph, bizarre electronic thrashes like the title track and the nearest OMD will ever get to boogie, This Is Helena."
John Shearlaw, Record Mirror