I've been listening to Delerium's new album, Chimera, for about a week straight, and I still like it. The album's smooth delivery comes in the form of hypnotizing female vocals, mellow basslines and instrumental accompaniments ranging from traditional guitar to more exotic middle eastern sounds. Rhys Fulber and Bill Leeb have a whole list of collaborators, including Leigh Nash (Sixpence Non The Richer), whose voice is ideal for this type of techno-pop music.

My first exposure to Delerium occurred a few years ago when I heard the Sarah Mclachlin collaboration Silence (and all its accompanying remixes). This album retains the haunting beauty of that spectacular track, but sheds the darkness for which Delerium acquired a reputation.

Love introduces the album perfectly, encompassing all of its best elements: vocals, instrumentals, exotic melodies, a dash of pop. It's a catchy song that bestows a seductive ambience on the listener. Honestly, having such a good song as the first track on the album threw me. Good songs usually pop up around track 4.

After All begins with some heavier techno accents and the female vocals are filtered such that an eerie tension covers the whole intro, and returns after the chorus. The chorus itself has a very processed feel to it, which is in part the reason why so many reviewers label this album "pop" sounding.

Just A Dream starts with a little chanting, and some sweeping instrumentals that sound like signature Enigma. The eventual female vocals become buffers between the real world and a calm that soothes after After All's tension. The chorus here is the strongest part of the song, while the soft-pop beat runs a close second.

Run For It starts with foreign singing that quickly fades into a pop-ish beat and Leigh Nash's (I think) vocals. The chorus in this song is also its strongest point. Long-time fans will probably dislike this song because it sounds too processed.

Truly is an excellent song with a seductive alto crooning over a comfortable techno beat, eventually breaking into a chorus that is absolutely captivating. The background music is a composite of beats and techno accents that underscore, rather than overwhelm, the unadorned voice singing above it all.

Serenity opens with soprano crooning a la Enigma. Some tinkling chords strummed on a piano complement the airy vocals. At 7'20" this track is pure atmosphere, perfect for studying to.

Touched is a little hit or miss, because the song starts with a heavy dose of cheese: "You are my angel and I believe that you were sent to me from above..." Roll my eyes and gag. If I don't listen to the words, the song is OK. Fans probably won't like this one, either.

Returning is another track with a very processed feel to it, much more pop than techno, but despite that, manages to maintain a certain awkward ambience that draws in the listener. The piano and guitar elements offset synths that lament along with the sometimes-husky vocals. Ethereal chanting seems to be a stretch in the musical bridges, however.

Fallen is a song that I love. It has the same feeling imbued in it as did Love and a thoroughly wonderful chorus with sweeping notes and, for some reason, reminds me of the rolling credits of a tragically ended film. Perhaps the least techno-y of all the songs on this album (and the song most likely to be played on an easy-listening radio station) it still receives high marks for pure likeablilty.

Orbit Of Me receives high marks for combining funky beats, rips, and piano chords. The synths in the background reproduce the album's signature sweeping sound. But it's not my favorite song because all of its energy seems to be directionless.

Magic starts sparsely, introduces some of the acoustic, sweeping elements found in Orbit of Me, and descends into a moody, meandering-bass-driven melody. The ambience is somewhat similar to Orbit of Me, but more reserved, more deliberate, like a cat playing with a mouse.

Eternal Odyssey begins slowly with various percussive instruments and some airy, foreign-sounding flute, eventually overlaid by Native-American-sounding chants and other sound samples. This is another track that reminds me of Enigma, which isn't a bad thing. It's a nice break from the persistent female vocals that dominate the album.

Forever After, the last track on the album, starts lightly with windy synths and chimes, that drop into some funky beats, a looping vocal, and synthed strings. Eventually, a female voice singing in some foreign language, adds a compelling taste of "somewhere over there." This is another favorite track because of its funky, pieced together appearance, and the foreign vocals which sound really excellent.

My first impression of Chimera was that I liked it. My second impression was surprise, because I expected something techno-like (the album had been suggested to me in a techno-dance chatroom on mIRC) but instead found something I can only describe as "soft" - clearly not pop, but not trance, or electronica. The closest classification would be "New Age" but that label seems a little too all-inclusive.

Despite its inability to be classified, Chimera remains a touching and seductive collection of music. Many of the songs can be applied to movie soundtracks (not just Fallen) and perhaps that's another reason why fans despairingly consider this a pop album. But I suggest that you chose not to be dissuaded. After all, I'm still listening to it. Whatever it is, it's good.

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Reading or Studying