Delirious? The Mission Bell CD

The Mission Bell signals Delirious?'s intent. It’s a call to prayer, a cry out to God, a warning that nothing can ever be the same again. From the war cry of Paint The Town Red (schedule for a big i-Tunes release on October 11th) to the tears at the feet of The Miracle Maker, from the abandon of Here I Am Send Me to the brokenness of Stronger, The Mission Bell rings with an urgency and a passion like no other Delirious? album before. OK, I know that that sounds like the sort of thing you read in things like this, but take the time and you’ll see it’s true.

So what happened? Musically the album’s twelve tracks cast a net over the previous years, moulds, shifts and shapes them. Guitars are bold, melodies inspired, ambiance unavoidable. What has shifted even further are the lyrics. There’s an honesty and fragility about them, seen in tracks like All This Time: “so how can I serve God and wealth? I can captivate an army but I can’t control myself…” Take Off My Shoes takes things a step further, pleading with God to “hold me, blow all the pride from my bones with your fire… breathe on this heart made of stone, keep it pure.”

With The Mission Bell it’s all about finding yourself ready to move on with God, seizing the day and taking the time. Now Is The Time gets to the heart of the matter: “now is the time for us to shine, shine with the light of Christ divine. No compromise, for all heaven cries ‘now is the time’.” Amen to that, brother.