When Miller's tinnitus worsened in 1982, the existence of Birdsongs as a quieter alternative was a significant factor in Miller's decision to end Mission of Burma in 1983. In fact, he stopped writing Burma material and began writing more aggressive material for Birdsongs, such as "Shiny Golden Snakes" (which became the lead track of their first full-length album, "Magnetic Flip.") After Burma's breakup, Birdsongs became democratized, and Swope, Scott, and especially Lindgren began composing original material. They toured regularly, mostly in the eastern United States and usually at rock music venues. Birdsonds of the Mesozoic opened for bands like Siouxie and the Banshees, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Fall and Prescott's Volcano Suns. Jon Pareles, music critic of "The New York Times", gave a positive review to the group's New York City debut, comparing their basic style to the minimalism of Philip Glass delivered with the energy and brevity of rock music: "In fact, most of the music is far more eventful, and less repetitious, than the average pop hit single."