Gifted bands that can crank out consistently stellar music are rarer than an albino squirrel. Yeah, they're out there, but how often can you point one out to a friend and have them see it too? Delirious? is one of those few brilliant bands that has ever-so steadily opened the fuel valve to continually intensify their seemingly eternal flame. With Touch, Delirious? digs a little Deeper to add some more spark to their Glo, but they don't quite make a true Mezzamorphis.
While the sounds on Touch are undeniably Delirious? (with some great electronic experimentation like they first dabbled in on Mezzamorphis), the lyrics stretch a little more than their direct praise on Glo. Stuart/Garrard generate some memorable lines this time around--"There's a feeling leading, pleading / Follow where it goes. Excess baggage falling, crawling, throw it all away. My redemption actual, factual / Happening today" (from "Fire"); "I tried to save the world but it fell upon my shoulders...Your love / it is the compass of my heart" (from "Love is the Compass").
Most of the tracks are Delirious? dancing on the edge (where they're at their best), but there are some songs that could just have well remained on the demos. "Angel in Disguise" drags with fatigued lyrics and too-intentionally weak vocal delivery. And the closing track, "Stealing Time," begs for a cold stop to the album after the scorching, feel-good fun of "Waiting for the Summer."
No, this is not any sort of growth spurt album--Delirious? sound just like you'd expect them to. But, man, they're consistently good.
4 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2003Reviewed by Jessica HeikoopDelirious?' new album Touch is a collection of songs taken mostly from its latest UK release Audio Lessonover? Some are altered; a majority aren't--but overall, this collection gives an excellent taste of the band's expanding talent. This project begins with the title song, "Touch," a heavier version compared to the original (from one of the Deeper E.P.s). The original is bouncier and has more of…The Rebel Base 2002Reviewed by David MartinDon't you hate it when bands in the UK release an album and their record companies make American audiences wait a few months to get their hands on it? Well, Christian rock band Delirious? has taken that frustration to a new level. Let me recap for you. In the summer of 2001, Delirious? put out their latest studio album, Audio: Lessonover, which was met with lukewarm reviews, likely due to its…The Phantom Tollbooth 2002Reviewed by Rick ChromeyAnd Delirious should know a little about touching the eternal. Their music has completely changed worship within the Church. Their songs have become standards in the arena of contemporary praise. They have a rich legacy of creating communion with the Creator. I could sing of my appreciation...well,...forever. Touch is simply another step in the evolution of Delirious?. To be honest, few, if any,…Similar sounding releases
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