Over 15 years ago, I remember listening to the cardboard-packaged CDs from the UK called "Cutting Edge 1 & 2" and "Cutting Edge 3 & 4". As I heard "Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble", "I Could Of Your Love Forever" and "Find Me In The River" my heart soared, arms lifted and tears welled in my eyes. I remember feeling that finally someone was playing my music. In that moment, I knew that "church music" was changed for the rest of my lifetime. Those albums, and the songs on them, were the first fruits of a crop of fresh worship that was to come from the UK, heralded most prominently by the worship leaders/songwriters Matt Redman and the incredible band Delirious1.
Delirious' leader singer and main songsmith, Martin Smith, has come full circle of that place - writing new songs from and for the local church. Reading a recent biography of Martin Smith, it sounds like he is stepped into a time of community in a local church plant in his native UK. It is from this seedbed of connection and community that Martin and his songs have re-emerged in this new album "God's Great Dance Floor: Step 1".
The opening track is a pop arranged song that stirs the worshiper with the appropriate title "Awake My Soul". Smith's voice and sensibilities jump right onto this album by bringing you into a place worship right from the start. The next song sounds like the 90s-captured sound from U2 inspired songs with the 16th note hihat and delayed electric guitar reverb setting the progressive groove of "The Fire Never Sleeps". In the midst if this upbeat celebration, Smith returns to his worship language of surrender, singing "burn oh my soul" out passionately and intensely.
"Back to the Start" is the third track, alternatively subtitled "God's Great Dance Floor". This song was the title track from the recent Passion conference live CD (and serves the same purpose here) done by Tomlin, Redman and Crowder to great effect. Here, Martin Smith gives us the crisp presentation of a tight arrangement, that has every bit as much energy as a "live" version. I really enjoyed this lengthy track that explodes into at least three different modes of energy and arrangements. Joy-filled and celebration-ready!
The album leans way back with "Waiting Here For You", a piano ballad in which Smith declares that he will wait for God, lift his hands and adore the Lord of all creation. With solemn "Alleluia" this song soars in peaceful surrender, the pop-ballad music gently percolating underneath the cleanly sung lyrics. A beautiful, glorious, song of surrender. Track five keeps the pensive mood, and opens up confession of brokenness and loss, ultimately reconciling such painful things in the providence of God to carry us through. Powerful. The track "Safe In Your Arms" is a prayer song, echoing the themes and lyrics from Psalm 23 with the resolution that "I am safe in Your arms". These last three songs form a deep pool of worship in the stream of this albums river of praise, perfectly fit in the mid-point of this experience.
Once making the corner passed "Safe In Your Arms", the tempo picks up once again, running into track 7 that overlays the metaphor from the old song "onward Christian soldiers" into a commitment song to encourage believers to surrender their lives and bring the love of God through acts of mercy and justice to the nations. While Smith is unafraid to use this metaphor, I wonder its usefulness in the international church today, which would be quite sensitive to this imagery being associated with Church.
The next track is called "Jesus of Nazareth", another song which seems like it is taken from a themed children's song, and turned into an "adult song", this time with full country/roots treatment of drums, guitar and even banjo, all plucking along to the cut time, until the very end where the song ends oddly with a rock exit. Track nine, "Catch Every Teardrop", sounds like a Christian radio heart-touch song, evoking both confession and prayer in this melodic and catchy tune. It would seem out of place on this largely worship-oriented project, but Smith draws on his already established thread of confession and prayer to make this fit and highlight his story-telling side. The last song uses allusions to David ("shepherd boy, singing to a choir of burning lights") mixed with Smith's personal call to sing to God and invite others into that song as a way to express "love is a fire!".
The entire album is delightful, starting with praise filled celebration, deep pools of worship and ending with songs of life and commitment to God's call. A thoughtful, engaging and uplifting project. Check it out!
Amazon Link: http://amzn.to/ZChwwk
Review by Kim Gentes
1. I use the simple name Delirious in this article, though they were branded as "Deliriou5?" in their official marketing and naming.