(3-TRACK SINGLE/ 2000)
Delirious would find problems if they wanted to sound any more sold-out or commercial crack-slurping. �It�s Ok� (�She�s as pretty as hell�) is alright, a soft-rock ballad subtly performed by these 5 lads hopelessly in love (with themselves?), it endears and self-scentedly sweeps in true Crowded House fashion, but beyond the warm melody (that�s immediately forgettable), it�s flimsily 2-D with no meaningful depth. The cooler melody in �Pursuit Of Happiness� does more for their happy-go-lucky, never mucky, pop-rock - sounding like slick, politically-correct and morally-perfect greaseball rock �n� rollers from the 60�s, it�s that thing they do with handclaps and slurped lines like �If I could only find the way to your heart� that make this a much stronger track and this single�s hottest� but originality ain�t the order of the day. Because they�re running scared that edgy innovation might not get them paid in an industry revolving round catchy, good-time anthems for the narrow-minded masses. Again, �Come Like You Promise� is a track to party to, shallow yet forever �in vogue� guitar-pop: destined for 5 UK stadiums this June when Delirious? support Bon Jovi. It�d be little surprise if D? admitted to having grown-up listening non-stop to Simple Minds and U2 records, while the glossy mastering of the track reminds of The Alarm frontman in Mike Peters, and his great-yet-grounded solo LPs. Lyrically under-developed, but benefiting from funkily pinching bass and ultimately folky protest vocals (seeminging vying for a better world), Delirious? owe future worldwide success not to their songwriting skills, but to the sheened production values they personally master by default at later dates, given the fact they self-produce. Fair enough � here are 3 cool tracks for the odd listen now and again, but if you�re striving to find a life-changing band in this self-questioning fivesome, turn back before it�s too late. (NB, Their mailing-list is the most reliable I know � priority info on every single/ LP/ gig courtesy of them dependably finds its way onto cardboard and thru my letterbox with streamlined regularity: hence product knowledge of their new single, �Waiting For The Summer,� that could well rocket into the chart any week after June 4th. (STEVE RUDD)
CONTACT DELIRIOUS?� www.delirious.co.uk or
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