It is strange that what is perhaps Delirious' most accessible album to date has so far been their least successful in terms of chart placings. Perhaps they're no longer the youth group darlings they once were or perhaps they haven't pushed the publicity machine as hard as they used to, but in its first week of release Audio Lessonover barely scraped into the top 60.
It is particularly strange because this album is probably the most comfortable and assured of their four studio releases. The songs are akin to those on King of Fools in their straightforwardness -- without the electronic experiments of Mezzamorphis or the crowd-pleasing but somehow lacking worship lyrics of Glo -- but the sound is fuller and more powerful. At its best it's got a light pop touch, loose and relaxed with strong choruses and chunky guitars.
That's not to say that this is the album the band's best live moments have hinted might be possible. It has its moments for sure, but they don't quite match up to the clarity and power that you can occasionally catch glimpses of, and after the breezy-pop of the first couple of tracks a few ("Alien" for example) become a little heavy-going and on the ballad "Angel In Disguise" Martin Smith's vocals seem to lack focus and don't serve the song well. The attempt at Thom Yorke-esque vocals on "Rollercoaster" also harm that song, which is otherwise one of the more interesting pieces musically with its interweaving of programmed beats, piano melody and synthesized woodwind sounds.
The lyrics will disappoint those hoping for a continuation of the praise and worship direction taken by Glo, but are pretty much as the band had indicated they would be. Like the other aspects of the songs they vary in success, with "America" being unfortunately cliched. That track is thankfully not representative of the general writing, but the lyrics still don't have the spark or subtlety which might be hoped for and sadly, the designers have made the lyrics printed on the album sleeve almost unreadable which is sure to frustrate fans.
Bringing in a new producer has probably helped Delirious out, but the result is still not as focused or convincing as we might have hoped. Some of these songs still cry out with potential but none quite deliver and some are simply deadweight. I can't help but feel that the band needs more of a challenge to tighten up their act. Maybe the slow sales of this album will provide the impetus?
Other coverage for this album
Decapolis August 2002Reviewed by Matt ModrichDelirious is known in the United States as a worship band, but across the ocean they are part of the mainstream scene in the U.K. Because of that dichotomy their music is often out in Europe long before it hits the States. Such is the case with "Audio Lessonover," which has been out since last August, but is scheduled to be released in America with a live disc this fall. Many traditional…The Rebel Base 2001Reviewed by David MartinWhat? There's another new Delirious? album out already?! This surprised statement has probably been made several times in the last few months by D: fans on both sides of the Atlantic. Ever since the British fivesome helped to usher in the modern worship revival over there a few years ago (which spread like wildfire to the States with songs like "Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble?", "Shout to the…Similar sounding releases
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