Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

It's traditional for the cynical British music press to lavish a hand with praise, build them up and then when they're successful, to sweep the carpet from under their feet and knock 'em down! The Delirious? backlash doesn't start here but this does seem like a bit of a blip! As an advocate of Delirious?'s music and a believer in their spiritual impact. I really wanted to love this but feel a little let down. I initially heard Chris Cole's exclusive first play of "See The Star" on his UCB/Cross Rhythms programme and waited with baited breath to hear it. It came, it went and it didn't grab me. Uh oh! Further investigation with Tony Cummings left us both equally nonplussed. Have the guys lost it? This is not an immediate attention grabber. I actually played it on repeat play for two hours solid to see if it was a grower. I've probably listened to it 40 times now and I'm still left a little disappointed. It's got a nice string arrangement, catchy chorus but somehow (are the vocals too low in the mix? Am I going deaf?) I can't seem to connect with the words. "See The Star" is accompanied by another new track "Follow" built on a great groove but disappointingly the song wanders along on the vibe and a vulnerable vocal from Smith without ever reaching a destination. The remix of "See The Star" (d:llatrix mix) is dominated by some thumping Stew Smith drum loops (no doubt lovingly edited by Tim Jupp) but again meanders. A second version of the single has a new version of "Obsession" to encourage multiple buying. By the time you're reading this, it will have been and gone in the charts and I'll probably be eating my hat but this feels weaker than "Deeper" and "Promise". However the very fact it's been so long coming will mean that fans will want to snap it up. I just presume there are a couple of cracking hits lurking on the album waiting to be revealed!

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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