Kingdom Of Comfort - Delirious

== Overview ==
Kingdom of Comfort is the last studio album produced by Delirious? prior to their disbandment later this year (2009) and the first without Stew on drums. History making on several levels, this is unfortunately _not_ the best album ever produced by the boys from Littlehampton.

== Tracklisting ==
''' 1. Kingdom of Comfort '''
The title track of the album is heartfelt call to God requesting deliverance ...
...the uncaring, ungodly attitudes it creates in us. This track is one of the highlights of the album with lyrics that make you think about the way in which we in the West live in disregard of our spiritual lives and also our fellow man in poorer nations. I really like the way this track works up into a huge instrumental crescendo of ethereal vocals and organs over the lead vocals before the track just stops dead.

Best lyric: 'I rob ... more

Overview

Kingdom of Comfort is the last studio album produced by Delirious? prior to their disbandment later this year (2009) and the first without Stew on drums. History making on several levels, this is unfortunately not the best album ever produced by the boys from Littlehampton.

Tracklisting

1. Kingdom of Comfort
The title track of the album is heartfelt call to God requesting deliverance from the consumer society in which we live in and the uncaring, ungodly attitudes it creates in us. This track is one of the highlights of the album with lyrics that make you think about the way in which we in the West live in disregard of our spiritual lives and also our fellow man in poorer nations. I really like the way this track works up into a huge instrumental crescendo of ethereal vocals and organs over the lead vocals before the track just stops dead.

Best lyric: 'I rob myself of innocence With the poison of indifference'

2. God is Smiling
This track is far more upbeat than the opener despite echoing the sentiment of reconciliation between all of mankind. This song is clearly a call to reconciliation to other through reconciliation to God. The guitar work, as always, is pretty good with a trademark solo from Stu G.

Best lyric: 'Break ours hearts and save us all'

3. Give What You've Got
A song about living the christian life and putting all we have into making an eternal difference to those around us and the world in general. Despite having good lyrics, musically I feel this is one of the weaker tracks.

Best lyric: 'don't sell up your soul to the glitter and gold'

4. Love Will Find a Way
This song seems to be about God's love manifesting itself to us and others; how God's love will bring change to pass whether we understand it at the start or not. Perhaps one of the most ambiguous tracks on the album and again not an instant classic. The track again builds up to a guitar climax with some interesting backing vocals.

Best lyric: 'I'm a tourist here so tomorrow I go home'

5. Eagle Rider
This track speaks of the relationship with the Holy Spirit and the guidance He provides. Taking Isaiah 41 verse 31 as inspiration ('but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint') this track tries to explain how life in the Spirit gives a person strength. Featuring a strangely South American tempo, the lyrics of this song are sadly far better than the music which is only passable. At times the music actually sounds a bit like a Chris Rea track...

Best lyric: 'I feel the spirits breath free me from the net, Flying from captivity, And the life I called a wreck'

6. We Give You Praise
Fading in directly from the previous track, this is a much slower, contemplative tune, up until the final chorus. With much more reliance on the keyboard, we don't even begin to notice the presence of the guitar until the second chorus. This song is another about walking with God through all the circumstances of life and praising Him regardless of what we see or experience because we know that everything will work out for good.

Best lyric: 'Here you meet me where I am
we walk with glory and pain
And you ve broken the chains
So there's no stopping here'

7. How Sweet the Name
Probably the slowest track on the whole album and the most overtly Christian at that. This song is a contemplation of the saving relationship between the singer (Martin Smith) and Jesus which also echoes the experiences of many other christians. Although slow and gentle, this is a great track; when I saw it performed live at the O2 in London late last year it sent a shiver up my spine. Starting with just Martin on the piano as a really gentle ballad, the song introduces a heavy semi-electronica-rock hybrid passage near the end before falling back to the solo voice and piano. Excellent.

Best lyric: 'Jesus how sweet the name
The name that saves'

8. Wonder
Another song about the life changes brought about through a loving relationship, despite being about the relationship with man and God, this song could easily pass for a secular love song. A driving bass line make this one quite a toe-tapper.

Best lyric: 'Oh sweet heart you ve broken this sweet heart
Oh sweet heart you've broken me.'

9. Break the Silence
Break the Silence is a call for us to unite against oppression of any sort perpetuated against our fellow man, particularly that of the West on the poorer nations through unfair trade practices. This track features a similar thrumming bassline which has my toes tapping, topped by a sing-along chorus. One of the better tracks on the album.

Best lyric: 'Break the silence, break the silence,
Cross ever boundary that divides us, divides us'

10. Stare the Monster Down
A strange song seemingly about mankinds potential to stumble and sin against God but ending with a tale of a father suffering through chemo treatment for cancer and ending with an ultimatum to the Devil. Probably the only other time I have heard the lyric 'Another day in paradise' without any trace of Phil Collins at all! With screaming guitar and an up-tempo beat, the deep content of the lyrics is offset by the "poppy" sounding chorus. An intriguing blend of light-weight (tune) and heavy (lyrics) and for that reason alone, a pretty good track.

Best lyric: 'One thing I have pondered
Is how the mighty fall'

11. All God's Children
A meditation on the second coming of Jesus when pain and injustice will be banished forever. Slow and relaxed but again working up to a crescendo, this is another good track with a catchy chorus sung in conjunction with a children's choir, which is really easy to sing along with.

Best lyric: 'All god's children we will sing hallelujah'

12. My Soul Sings
Probably my favourite track on the whole album, My Soul Sings is about the eternal love of God and how He extends it to all of us. Starting with a repetitive guitar riff, the vocals take up before being replaced by the riff at the end of each stanza. The song continues building up to a wonderful crescendo with angelic vocals repeating the chorus over a more dreamy reprise of the riff. This is probably my favourite track on the album and it was used as the last song of the O2 set to great effect too.

Best lyric: 'My soul sings'

Conclusion

Despite not being the best Delirious? album I own, this one does have enough good tracks to introduce the uninitiated to their unique brand of Christian pop. I myself am a fairly latecomer to Delirious? but I have found that their music to have matured substantially over the years to the point where they have turned an insult thrown at them once into a badge of honour - they are a poor man's U2. But even though Delirious? themselves regard that as a compliment, it is grossly unfair to assume that they are a replica band being that they have their own musical style and abilities which have seen them become a mega group in the USA even if they are generally overlooked in the UK.

This is an above-average album, but I would personally recommend their "Mission Bell" as being better.

Links

Delirious? website: http://www.delirious.co.uk

© ben-lloyd 2009. This review appears on other websites under the same user name. 

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