Nightbird received mixed reviews and was only a moderate commercial success, charting no higher than number 27 in UK.

Despite the mixed critical reception, many longtime fans of the band hailed it as a return to the sound and feel of classic Erasure albums like Wonderland and Chorus.

Singer Andy Bell's revelation that he was HIV-positive just prior to the album's release shed new meaning on the songs' introspective and sometimes melancholy lyrics.

"[2] Christian Hoard from Rolling Stone explained: "Nightbird is full of elegant dance pop topped by the choirboy-like Bell singing about love, heartache and dreams.

"[6] All tracks are written by Andy Bell and Vince ClarkeSubsequent to their acquisition of Erasure's back catalog, and in anticipation of the band's 30th anniversary, BMG commissioned reissues of all previously released UK editions of Erasure albums up to and including 2007's Light at the End of the World.