All Delirious? fans in America may now breathe a sigh of relief. It appears that the worshipful British rockers have once again decided that it's okay to actually give their British fans and their American fans the same album.

For those just tuning in, the last time I reviewed a Delirious? album, I had some less than kind things to say about the band for choosing to give America the album Touch, a scaled-back reworking of their 2001 UK release Audio: Lessonover that they made us wait a year for and that omitted some of the more interesting songs and remixed a few others, as if to say that a more experimental and intriguing album had to be "edited" for us simpletons to appreciate it. I had been a pretty big fan of the band up until that point, but my fandom hovered somewhere near the lukewarm level during the year 2003 as I waited to see what they would do next, and whether they would pursue a different image in front of each audience. Thankfully, things seem to have gotten back to normal in terms of their musical output - December saw the UK release of World Service, a brand new 12-song worship album stocked with catchy and uplifting tunes, and February saw the American release of the very same album on Sparrow Records, the label that had apparently shown no interest in putting out Audio: Lessonover for our consumption.

So here's the thing - I don't know if I'm all that excited about things being "back to normal". World Service continues in the band's tradition of putting worshipful lyrics into the context of a spacious, arena-filling modern rock sound, with unmistakable roots in the anthemic rock of U2. The band has split their time fairly evenly between worship albums and broader-reaching rock albums that still have a definite Christian focus but simply deal with human experiences, relationships, etc. with the joy of knowing Christ as a backdrop. This approach has left some fans confused as to whether they could be called a "worship band", and some even stretched unnecessarily to make songs into "worship songs" that weren't intended as such. Audio: Lessonover probably baffled fans more than anything else, taking a more mainstream-friendly approach and also subduing the band's rockier side on most of its songs. After the grand spiritual experience that was Glo, it became clear which part of the band's persona interested the American audience most. So it's not surprising that they would try to recapture some of that aura on World Service, an album whose very title refers to a vision of Christians worldwide gathering to praise God.

To be fair, World Service is not just a rehash of Glo. That album was characterized by sweeping and sometimes spontaneous extended sections that meditated on simple lyrics of praise. It proved that worship albums could be intricately, even artfully crafted. World Service, by way of contrast, is a bit more "pop" and immediately accessible. Surprisingly, it doesn't choose to bowl us over with a ton of powerful rock songs (though it does have its louder moments), and yet it also doesn't dwell too long on the ambiance of most of its songs like the past three albums did so frequently. It's probably the most instantly likeable album Delirious? has ever released, and yet despite that (or is it because of that?), I feel like it's also the first time in the band's career that they haven't challenged themselves. Thankfully, I still enjoy listening to it a great deal. And I can tell that it'll bring back a lot of the fans who were about ready to give up on them. There's something to be said for being able to record memorable songs even when you're not pushing your boundaries (because you can't always be pushing them, can you?) This is probably why I still consider myself a fan despite my tastes having changed immensely since the days of Glo.

Grace Like a River
Staring at my history
Was all alone and never free
The sands of time have let me see
Your faithful shadow next to me...
One of my favorite things about Delirious? would have to be Stuart Garrard's uncanny ability for coming up with inventive and memorable guitar riffs - he chose a particularly explosive one to start off this album. Ascending repeatedly like flames reaching toward the sky, they drop out suddenly, just in time for Martin Smith to start crooning lyrics that ponder the mysteries of God's love. It's a fairly simple context, but it becomes quite celebratory in the hands of this band. The 6/8 time signature, Tim Jupp's lightly sprinkled piano, the recurrence of Stu G's. main theme in between lines of the verse work together to build a song that will certainly be a concert highlight in the coming years.

Rain Down
Back to the start, my heart is heavy
Feels like it's time to dream again
I hear Your voice, and yes I'm ready
To dance upon this barren land...
Light, muted guitar playing and some echoing "doo doo doo"s from Martin open up this extremely poppy song that once again uses water as a metaphor for God's love. (I never claimed that Delirious?'s lyrics were terribly original.) The song is a fairly simple U2-meets-SonicFlood blend of guitar pop, using a highly danceable beat and a playful guitar line that rises into the heavens as a backdrop for Martin's plea for a holy flood to revive the land around him. Since this is a worship album, it's no big surprise to hear a chorus of fans chiming in behind Martin at one point, even overtaking the song briefly as the music drops out after the bridge. The bridge manages to be memorable in a subtle way, breaking from the melody of the rest of the song and rising to a higher point than expectd as Martin sings "Do not shut, do not shut, do not shut the heavens/But open up, open up, open up our hearts." The repetition actually works quite well with the climbing notes, and it's only his spotty enunciation that detracts slightly from my enjoyment of the song. All of these ingredients have become part of the quintessential Delirious? recipe at this point, and you could argue that this was done better a few times on Glo, but "Rain Down" still manages to be the band's latest standout track.

God in Heaven
We've got this treasure in our hands
And we're bringing it
A hidden church bell in this land
Now we're ringing it...
This song gets the heart pumping with its jumpy opening riff, which leads into a melodically unpredictable verse. I like that, for all of their fairly basic worship lyrics, the band isn't content to stick to simple G-C-D type melodies all the time. One of the stronger rockers on the album, "God in Heaven" seems to express a desire to bring heaven down to Earth, which could be seen as an overall theme of World Service. The one are where this song gets negative points would have to be the chorus, where Martin's insistence on saying "Heaven" as one word (you know, like in all those old Christmas carols where you're supposed to figure out how to pronounce to contraction "Heav'n"), and as a result, it sounds like he's singing "God in Hell". Man, that one's gonna go down in history as one of the most notoriously misheard lyrics of all time!

Majesty (Here I Am)
Here I am humbled by the love that you give
Forgiven so that I can forgive...
This was the first song released from the album, by way of the now-defunct mp3.com. When I first heard it last November, I quickly wrote it off as a stock worship song - slow, uninventive, and unchallenging. Looking back, I can see that my reaction was a bit harsh - the subtle electronics and strings that ripple underneath the song's gentle rhythmic current actually add a very pleasant ambiance to the song, and the lyrics, while simple, are heartfelt and actually have a few lines that reach out and grab me, such as "Empty handed but alive in Your hands". The boys have a way with words when they really want to - I just think that often Martin rests on his laurels instead of challenging himself to think outside of the box with his choice of words. Essentially, this song is a musical rewrite of "Jesus' Blood" with lyrics that are easier to sing along to.

Inside Outside
I see you in the storm, I see you in a kiss
I've been around the world and never found a love like this...
One of my favorite songs from Audio: Lessonover, which unfortunately didn't make the cut for Touch, was called "A Little Love". It was a curious little number that featured Stu G. singing some strange verses in a hushed tone before leading into a simpler chorus, sung by Martin. This song seems to be a more straightforward attempt at that same formula, based on Psalm 139's meditation on a God who knows us intimately, inside and out, with a hint of Song of Solomon mixed in ("Your banner is over me"). A Stu G. vocal is always welcome - not that Martin's voice is unpleasant or anything, but it changes things up a little. For the most part, this song breezes by on its medium tempo, and Stu G.'s instrumental approach is more subdued, leaving room for Martin's chorus to wrap around the listener: "You still captivate me, fascinate me. You still captivate me, saturate me." And then suddenly, in the middle of the song, a strange whistling noise that resembles a siren provides a warning signal just as the guitars erupt into a frenzy and Martin passionately belts out "You're all over me!" It's a surprising moment worthy of the band's moniker, and it helps to break up what might have otherwise been a monotonous flow of mid-tempo songs. (Though there should be a law against having something that resembles a siren on a CD that people are likely to play in their cars. That one makes me jump every time!)

Free
I'm right on time for the atmosphere to rearrange
'Cause I've got wings, so watch me fly...
Man, if I had a nickel for every time I've seen that song title… this is another medium-paced song that kind of gently bounces by, with Martin's lyrics of being "free to be the man You want me to be" adding a celebratory tone, and Stu G.'s anthemic guitar intro providing the main hook. Lyrically this is one of the weakest songs on the record - it's not painful to listen to, but it also isn't terribly deep or detailed regarding what that freedom truly means. There seems to be a dichotomy created by this idea of being set free by someone whose help we need to be able to fly, and the song would probably be more interesting if Martin explored that idea further.

Everyone Knows
I love to hear You singing sweet redemption songs
Your face is brighter than the sunrise...
A few folks have described this happy, acoustic-driven track as the dud of the album. While it definitely hearkens back to the Cutting Edge days when the band's approach was more simplistic, it doesn't feel like it's a major regression to me. For one thing, it shows a little more dexterity on the part of the players. Jon Thatcher in particular stands out, which is rare for bass players - not content to anchor each chord with a simple note, he deftly ambles about, creating a consistent rumble that underpins the song. Martin slips into falsetto from time to timeas he sings about faith being a glowing fire that everyone around him can see, and a few whistles and other odd sounds add character as well. It ultimately makes for a pretty disjointed song, but also a very free-spirited.

With You
Ooh, nothing left to say
When my heart, it burns with holy fire, don't get in my way...
So, I guess the band still likes to listen to Coldplay, eh? Tim Jupp's shimmering piano and Stew Smith's relentless drum backbeat create a dense atmosphere that is one part "Clocks" and one part "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face". However, I think Coldplay is used more as a jumping off point than just a trendy band to be copied here - the lyrics and melodies are still vintage Delirious? The band clearly breaks from the piano-rock motif with another burst of energy in the middle, complete with distorted vocals, almost to the point where Martin's voice and Stu G.'s guitar are trying to outscream each other. All of this helps to distract me from the fact that this is basically an upbeat rewrite of "Stealing Time" about what else, wanting to be with God. (Once again I point out, aren't we always with God?) I should also point out Martin repeats himself a bit here, reusing the line "I'm alive 'cause You're alive" which first surfaced in the song "Free". Maybe it's an intentional attempt to connect the songs to one another, but it seems a bit lazy.

Mountains High
I feel your hand, the warmth, your sweetest smile
But you slipped away, through the great divide...
One aspect of Delirious?'s songwriting that I think has gone unnoticed, but remains effective, is their ability to create sparse, moody ballads that arise out of difficult situations. "Blindfold", "Summer of Love", "August 30th", and "Angel in Disguise" serve as past examples of this ability. "Mountains High", a song of sorrow written in the wake of a loved one's passing, is a bit more simplistic in its continuation of this tradition, but it works as a brief meditation on the mystery of a God whose plans remain mysterious to us. Apparently this friend died of a heart attack while mountain climbing, which inspired the song's title, which the chorus repeats again and again - "This mountain's high, too high for us". That later morphs into a reverent acknowledgement that "Your ways are too high, too high for us." The song drifts at from its beginnings as a quiet piano ballad as it goes, bringing in acidic percussion a la "Blindfold" and creating a denser musical atmosphere, increasing in intensity as Martin cries out in desperation for God to help him understand what's going on. Eventually, all of this falls away into a brief, sorrowful string interlude which brings us across the chasm into the next song.

I Was Blind
Your kindness, it brings me to my knees
Your kindness, it leads me to say sorry...
Another gentle piano intro leads this one off, with Stu G. carefully selecting notes in a more Eastern-sounding scale. Unfortunately, the song drops this interesting motif during the verses and chorus in favor of a more traditional chord sequence, and so it amounts to one of Delirious?'s more typical ambient worship ballads. Still, the song is well placed, starting off by acknowledging that "I love Your ways, they are beautiful, so beautiful to me", as if to acknowledge peace and acceptance after the outpouring of sorrow in the previous song. The song continues somewhat predictably until veering off into more spontaneous territory as Martin repeats the line "Would You shine on us" as the guitars and keyboards gently shimmer in the background, once again creating an atmosphere similar to "Blindfold". I don't know why, it's not like that's one of my favorite Delirious? songs, but it seems to keep popping up in my memory!

Feel It Comin' On
Careful when you look, for my heart has leprosy
All I want is to see Jesus, just one touch and I'll be free...
Treating us to one last upbeat track at this late stage in the album was definitely a good call. A somewhat jangly guitar intro leads this one off, and for a split second it actually reminds me of "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World, mostly because of the key it's in. It soon takes on an identity of its own, a distinctly Delirious? song that somehow doesn't manage to imitate any of their older songs directly, nor any songs by their most obvious influences that I can think of. It's just a fun rocker, with some explosive guitar breaks by Stu G., and an interesting drum pattern from Stew Smith, keeping a 4/4 pattern but shifting the emphasis in every fourth measure, something like this: "ONE two THREE four ONE two THREE four ONE two THREE four ONE two three FOUR". It's subtle, but well done. Martin's voice rises towards the heavens as he repeats the impassioned plea "Hold me tonight", which ends up being the last thing you hear as the rest of the song fizzles out, much like the coda to "Investigate" from Glo.

Every Little Thing
There's no-one else to blame
I live my life between the fire and the flame...
I guess I expected more from a Delirious? Album closer than what I ended up getting here. I also expected more from a collaboration with UK pop superstar Daniel Bedingfeld. What we end up with is another mid-tempo, piano-driven pop song, which has an intriguing intro but soon shuffles off an into unchallenging melody and a banal lyric that assures us repeatedly, "Every little thing's gonna be alright". I guess Daniel is singing backup during the chorus, but I don't really know his voice well enough to make it out. The band tries to inject more energy into the chorus, but ultimately their closing anthem is a bit tired, and a bit too generic and uninspired to effectively cap off a worship album. I like Stu G.'s understated guitar solo near the end, but it's too brief. This is actually the weakest moment on the album, I'm sad to say.

Overall, I think I'd have to label World Service as an above average album - it may not be the most creative Christian rock album out there, but as per usual with Delirious?, it puts most of the modern worship albums on today's market to shame. It's well-composed and well-played, albeit not so well-written. That would be the one caveat - with most of Delirious?'s past material, even the simplistic worship stuff, there were at least a few lyrics that I could really immerse myself in and feel resonating in the core of my soul. World Service doesn't quite have that all-encompassing effect. That's probably due in part to the sheer poppiness of much of the album - it's not as easy for a more radio-friendly song to take you away to a majestic mountain peak or a lonely valley (hey, if Delirious? can overuse their nature metaphors, then so can I). But it'll probably keep existing fans happy who have been clamoring for some new material for two years now (that may not sound like a long time, but on the Delirious? timetable, it's close to enough time to crank out two albums), and it might rope in a few new newbies who haven't yet realized that it was Delirious? Who helped start the whole modern worship trend in the first place. As for me, I guess I'll settle for merely enjoying this album while I reminisce about Glo and Mezzamorphis and long for the group to pour their creative energy into a future album of that caliber. That would truly be a service to the world.

ALBUM WORTH:
Grace Like a River $1.50
Rain Down $2
God in Heaven $1
Majesty (Here I Am) $1.50
Inside Outside $1.50
Free $.50
Everyone Knows $.50
With You $1.50
Mountains High $1
I Was Blind $1
Feel It Comin' On $1.50
Every Little Thing $0
TOTAL: $13.50

CONCLUSION: Wait for a sale price, and then snag it.

Band Members:
Martin Smith: Vocals, guitars
Stuart Garrard: Electric and acoustic guitars, vocals
Tim Jupp: Keyboards, programming
Jon Thatcher: Bass
Stewart Smith: Drums, percussion, backing vocals


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Waking up