Delirious? started the modern worship phenomenon in England a decade and a half ago, and quickly took over North America as well. Despite the almost infinite number of bands who followed their footsteps, few have been able to innovate and connect with audiences like frontman Martin Smith and his crew have done over the years. Somehow he captures an audience and turns their gaze heavenward. I was blessed to see them live once, and it was one of the best concerts I've seen in over three decades of concert-going.
My Soul Sings sets them before 12,000 enthusiastic fans in Bogota, Columbia, a country torn by drug violence, but obviously hungry for Christian worship music. Thankfully, Smith keeps the chatter to a minimum, adding to the CD rather than detracting from it. The audience sings along enthusiastically, and it's pure culturally-transcending worship when Smith takes "Majesty" into Spanish and backs off to let the audience worship with just minimal keyboard backing. From the rousing opening with "Rain Down" and "God Is Smiling" to the contemplative closing of "My Soul Sings," (again including Spanish portions) this project captures the essence of a band that changed Christian music for the new millenium.
Half of the tracks (including the title) are from last year's Kingdom of Comfort, so although no new projects are scheduled, this is not really meant to be an overview of the band's long career, which included eight studio projects. For live projects with earlier material, check out the Now is the Time: Live at Willow Creek DVD from 2006, or Access:D - Live Worship In The Key Of D from 2003.
Note: I haven't seen the DVD, but I understand that it adds a couple more songs and includes lyric captions as well as a few snippets of backstage video.
Visit Delirious?.