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Delirious has been a pioneer in modern worship, as well as one of Christian music's best rock bands—which has led to twin reactions. Its rock albums have disappointed fans looking for the next big church anthem, while fans of the band's alternative side have shied away from its praise-pop projects.

But with Kingdom of Comfort (4 stars) the British group harmonizes inspiration and innovation. Motivated by band members' recent trips to India and Rwanda, these songs offer a form of worship music that emphasizes both word and deed. The title track challenges the singer's own involvement in a culture of instant gratification and security. Its antiphonal chorus pleads, "Save me, save me / From the kingdom of comfort where I am king / From my unhealthy lust of material things."

Other songs work in tandem. "Love Will Find a Way," though hopeful in tone, expresses frustration over global poverty as seen from the perspective of a short-term mission trip:

I stare in the eyes of this flesh and bone
I'm a tourist here so tomorrow I go home
I try to make sense of the things I've seen
Between the poverty and the five-star dream

The band responds to this with "All God's Children," which looks to the coming kingdom:

Hope will come to those who wait
As the heart of heaven breaks
For these are the days when the least of us all see the coming King
For these are the days when injustice will fall at the coming King

Delirious plays with its sound from track to track. "Give What You Got" harkens to its familiar U2-styled stadium rock, while "We Give You Praise" has strong potential for congregational singing. In contrast, the title track dabbles in an alternative-acoustic feel reminiscent of Radiohead, and "Eagle Rider" bears dreamy acoustics and a subtle Latin influence.

Kingdom of Comfort is the band's 12th album, but Delirious seems newly eager to experiment and shows little sign of fading.

Russ Breimeier, managing editor, ChristianMusicToday.com

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Kingdom of Comfort is available from ChristianBook.com and other retailers.

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August 2008, Vol. 52, No. 8