Beating Time
AUDIO LESSONOVER
By Delirious?
Furious? Records
I'm bored. I'm bored with Christian music. Most of it is alright. There isn't much that is painfully irritating or unprofessional sounding or bad. But there's not much that stands out from the crowd and shouts 'listen to me, I'm different!'
Especially with guitar bands, there seems to be a comfortable, okayish, American sound that prevails among so many groups. It's pretty good, I suppose. It's slick. The odd tune jumps out and catches you by surprise. And the production is usually top-notch. It's just a bit dull. A bit samey. Background music.
So where do Delirious? stand these days? Do they jump on the comfy-rock train? Or does their music grab you by the hand and show you something new and exciting? A bit of both, I think.
Their new album Audio Lessonover starts brightly. 'Waiting for the Summer' is a happy, jangly tune about love in the summertime, all cheesy grins and friendly thoughts. But it's not long before the familiar American alternative rock sound creeps in. Songs saying 'I'm in love with a girl', with a string section here and a harmony there. None of them are bad songs, they just wash over you.
'Alien' has good lyrics, I think. But they are buried behind the anxious, screaming guitar, the dull tune and the slightly embarrassing guitar solo. 'Rollercoaster', 'A Little Love' and 'Show Me Heaven' all have something to say. But I couldn't quite catch what it was. Delirious? mumble the message they used to shout out loud.
Then the space rock sound of 'Fire' explodes in your face, it's great big mucky guitars screaming 'turn me up, I want to blow up your speakers!'. Eerie, underwater vocals slide all over the place. The huge shouty chorus (reminiscent of 'Embrace') bellows 'I believe!' and you remember why you have a soft spot for Delirious?. It has taken them seven songs to get there, but Delirious? are still enthusiastic about their faith. They sound so much more exciting and interesting in the songs that tell us this fact.
Then there are more love songs, and then the album peters out slowly to a melancholy anti-climactic finish.
So, the shape of Delirious? in 2001? Lots of big guitars. Lots of love songs. Lashings of American rock. God gets a look-in too. Occasionally. Call me old fashioned, but I liked their 'wearing our faith on our sleeve' songs that were once so prolific.
And do Delirious? stand out from other Christian bands? Sometimes. And when they do, they're on fire. I just wish they'd do it more often.
If you like Delirious?, buy this album. If you like competent, guitar-driven rock, buy this album. If you like classic songs about our God and Saviour and his awesome love for us, get Delirious's Cutting Edge albums. Written lesson: over.
Martin Cole
