Delirious? - Glo

Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

In the spontaneous bit at the end of "God You Are My God", Martin exhorts "Everyone around the world, sing" and there is the heart of this album. Waking up to the fact that their praise songs have ignited a generation, affected the Church globally and sold by the bucketload, God diverts them from their next assault on the pop charts. Delirious? Are still committed to taking their music outside the walls of the Church but here they manage to combine everything that makes them a powerful force. Imagine 'Cutting Edge' style lyrics - passionate, inspiring, intimate - and then combine that with spontaneous moments where the band go for it (reminiscent of 'Live & In The Can') and if that isn't enough, throw in the production quality and dense sound of 'Mezzamorphis'. The result is something very special indeed! 'Glo' to these ears is the pinnacle of their recording career so far, combining musical depth and intricacy with lyrics that impact deeply. To avoid writing an essay, I'll just give you some edited highlights! "Investigate" is one of the most moving intense songs the band have ever recorded and with other tracks here if they hadn't recorded a couple of lighter songs like the moving "What Would I Have Done?", "Intimate Stranger", the energy contained here might have slain people! Talking of energy, check out "My Glorious" which is destined to become classic Delirious? complete with a chorus of 150 D:fans worshipping along in football crowd fashion. This rentacrowd turn up elsewhere to superb effect. Other highlights are the poppy "Hang On To You" (already covered by Lunahalo on their debut) and the band's own version of Stu G's "Awaken The Dawn" complete with bagpipers! "Everything" has some brilliant Phil Manzaneira-style guitar from Stu whilst it's a bunch of monks from Ampleforth Abbey whose contribution to "God You Are My God" steals the show. Who would have thought you'd ever hear a D:album that would open up with monks singing and close with a string quartet coda but then 'Glo' is no ordinary album, like it says, it's a soundtrack for life. The music's perfect but what has Martin done with his hair? (Not that I can talk!)