Amazon.co.uk Review
In addition to its message of all-out, headlong surrender to the Gospel, Delirious's first widely accessible album also has just plain old good music. Often described as the "new U2", Delirious's resemblance is not hard to detect: Martin Smith's vocals, like Bono's, are far ranging and have a captivating, heart-wrenching emotionalism. The band as a whole has a kind of reckless innovation that consistently surges into stunning new territory. On King of Fools, for instance, the presence of a violin, a choir, and a Rickenbacker in one song is not an unusual combination, and the use of every kind of guitar in existence seems to be their speciality. Anyone would agree that Delirious is casting a mould of their own. Their hunger for God is strenuous and explores the depths of all struggles: the longing for more of Him and developing the patience to wait, the struggle for belief when "blood rolls down upon our land" and when love spills "down that wooden cross" ("White Ribbon Day"), and the struggle when the gifts He brings "rob [our] innocence" ("King or Cripple"). In every song, the tension eventually culminates in a contemplation of the Cross--as when in "All the Way" Smith erupts, "with you I'm washed as white as the snow and all crimson stain becomes as a shadow"--and the effect is only more stirring. --Courtenay Kehn
The problem with Delirious name is that you might expect the band to be more... something... than it really is. Louder, perhaps. Or perhaps a little crazier. But the good thing about Delirious is that these five guys do what they do (guitar-driven alterna-praise, for lack of a better term) very, very well.If you haven't heard the story yet, here's the nutshell: Delirious grew out of a series of youth group meetings called Cutting Edge that began in 1992 in Littlehampton, England. Very quietly, the band garnered a stable of praise songs and originals, culminating in album releases that caught the attention of BBC Radio, and another Brit-pop sensation was born (albeit without most of the problems that seem to dog the rest of the Brit-pop sensation population).
King of Fools, released last year in the UK, is just now making its way over to "this side of the pond" and is composed of 13 exceptionally well-crafted tracks that, lyrically, speak directly to youth populations of both cultures who are seeking their spiritual path. Perhaps the intended listeners are churched, perhaps not, but the approachability of the lyrical sense will neither offend the saved nor turn away the sinner.
If there's a flaw in Delirious sonic approach, its that they sound a little too much like a British version of Big Tent Revival (and mind you, this isn't a slam to either band). Yes, the musical nods to English contemporaries such as Oasis, Del Amitri and The Verve are there, but there are times when, if you scrubbed the accent from lead singer Martin Smiths voice, you'd swear you were listening to BTR's Steve Wiggins.
Standout tracks include the contemplative title cut, the Vigilantes-esque "Revival Town," the swampy opener "Sanctify," and the (probably) U2-inspired manifesto "White Ribbon Day."
The primary question surrounding Delirious now is "When can we hear more?" -- Lucas W. Hendrickson (c) 1998 CCM Communications, Inc.
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