01 Awake My Soul
02 Fire Never Sleeps
03 Back To The Start
04 Waiting Here For You
05 You Carry Me
06 Safe In Your Arms
07 Jesus Of Nazareth
08 Soldiers
09 Catch Every Tear Drop
10 Shepherd Boy
Since British rock band Delirious called an end to their incredibly successful time together in 2009, former lead singer Martin Smith has been steadily beavering away in the studio, putting together a string of mini EPs as an outlet for his enduring creativity.
This fresh start saw the singer/songwriter collect together a group of young and inexperienced, yet talented musicians from his local church, and give them the opportunity to provide the backing track to his first ever solo material. Whilst those EPs were an audio snack for a hungry, loyal, post-Delirious following, Martin has now produced a more complete meal... Read More Since British rock band Delirious called an end to their incredibly successful time together in 2009, former lead singer Martin Smith has been steadily beavering away in the studio, putting together a string of mini EPs as an outlet for his enduring creativity.
This fresh start saw the singer/songwriter collect together a group of young and inexperienced, yet talented musicians from his local church, and give them the opportunity to provide the backing track to his first ever solo material. Whilst those EPs were an audio snack for a hungry, loyal, post-Delirious following, Martin has now produced a more complete meal suited to the masses in the shape of his first full-length album.
'God's Great Dance Floor - Step 01' is a 10 track collection of songs originally unveiled in his first two EPs, plus two previously unreleased songs.
Opening track 'Awake My Soul' starts with, slightly unusually, the sound of a glockenspiel playing a jingle where you might normally expect a keyboard. A snappy rhythm is matched by the vocals sung in almost a rap, but not quite. This leads to the central chorus, "Awake my soul be lifted up, be lifted up." Co-written with Chris Tomlin, the song changes mid-way through as the pace picks up and that familiar intense singing from Martin rings out.
Pacey exciting drums and guitars introduce 'Fire Never Sleeps'. This track will already be known to anyone who heard the stunning live album Martin recently recorded with Jesus Culture in New York. The echoey riffs float in and out of the mix in that U2 vibe that Delirious perfected over the years. "Burn oh my soul, set me on fire" he sings with angst. The bridge adds an unexpected twist in the tail of the song as the tempo changes completely, "Purify my heart... Spirit fall on us", which leads into a fabulous guitar and drum instrumental piece before the chorus repeats again. A truly stunning song that belongs on the stage in front of a raucous crowd.
'Back To The Start' is a song of two halves. Beginning with a few simple notes from an electronic organ, this moody ballad style start sees Martin poignantly sings "I'm coming home, back to the start where you found me. I give you my heart again". Just when you think you've got the measure of the track, the tempo lifts, the song soars, and both musically and vocally this becomes a whole new track with rapid drums and clashing cymbals, crying electric guitar riffs and passion filled singing from this experienced pro.
As electo-bleeps and tweaks start to appear in the mix, Martin sings "You'll never stop loving us, no matter how far we run. You'll never give up on us. All of heaven shouts let the future begin", and you get a sense that this is auto-biographical, the beginning of the next chapter in the Martin Smith book of life. "I feel alive, I come alive, I am alive on God's Great Dance Floor" he enthuses as this party anthem really takes off with fabulous brass instruments taking the lead.
Taking the pace down a few notches, the next few tracks have a much quieter sound. 'Waiting Here For You' opens with an almost Adele style piano ballad feel, with Martin singing along gently to the soft backing track. In a similar manner, 'You Carry Me' makes use of simple keys and a soft beat to set a balladesque tone, whilst 'Safe In Your Arms' has Martin accompanied by just an acoustic guitar as he sing a gentle prayer to God, pure and heartfelt. Gradually more instruments are eased in, as first drums then keyboards blend beautifully to make the song soar to a glorious crescendo as Martin continues to sing from the heart in a personal outpouring to God.
New song 'Jesus Of Nazareth' is pure country music, with a clap style rhythm, strummed guitar and gang vocal chorus of "I was born to follow You". The guitar jam at the end, complete with yelps, adds a little rock and roll to the mix.
'Soldiers' is a fresh new pounding modern worship song. "Onward Christian Soldiers we're laying down our lives, We're lifting Jesus high. Together we are stronger, we're giving up our lives so let the Church arise". Heavy on its drum beat, laced with well worked guitar riffs and yet more brilliant vocals, this is a real unleashing of the music that must have been bubbling up inside the former Delirious man for the past few years.
'Tear Drop' starts with an inward look at the serious car accident Martin was involved in just as his career with Delirious was starting. "I fell asleep at the wheel, had a car crash. Don't know how I got here. I spun around and lost my way, thought I'd thrown it all away, cried a river through the longest night". As you would expect, there is a solemn and emotional tone to the song, as the keyboards and guitars play moodily in the background. By the time the song reaches the chorus it's clear that this song is more than just a reflection on that terrible incident. "Catch every tear drop, then will you catch me too".
Final song 'Shepherd Boy' again uses the simple piano backing for the moving lyrics, "I'm just singing, singing over you. So come and lay your troubles down, cos love is breaking through." This beautiful song is another Chris Tomlin co-write and appeared on his recent US mainstream chart topping album 'Burning Lights'. As the song progresses, so does the warmth - and as additional instruments join in, the volume and pace rises, finishing the album on a massive high.
All the components of classic Delirious are to be found in this album - strong drums, top class guitars, worship focused lyrics, and a passionate singer who can make a song either soar or stoop. But somehow Martin has managed to capture some of the creative spark that set Delirious apart from other bands, whilst still setting a new direction on his journey of reflection and rediscovery.
Review by Dave Wood
LTTM Rating 5 Out of 5 Stars Standout Tracks Back To The Start
Fire Never Sleeps
Shepherd Boy
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