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Genuine, Uplifting Sounds From Delirious?: No Question

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SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

The music of Delirious? has just one simple message: Praise the Lord! Butwhat makes this British quintet stand out from many Christian rock groups is that its songs are often musically substantial, uplifted by a taste for modern Brit-pop.

At the Greek Theatre on Sunday, the members of Delirious? demonstrated a talent for rousing, catchy melodies, with occasional electronic effects at the edges.

While many Christian bands have mastered the mere duplication of pop styles, Delirious? has a genuine knack for modern rock, with a sound that could fit comfortably beside the secular likes of Travis or U2.

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That sound was sometimes derivative at the Greek, but it was always well-played. Singer Martin Smith was an effective frontman, falling to his knees and strumming a guitar through “My Glorious.”

Not all the compositions were up to that level, as some songs began promisingly only to drift into standard pop formulas.

But the concert was never without energy, owing much to Stuart Garrard, whose lead guitar work added a welcome edge and urgency.

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This wasn’t spiritual exploration on the pop level of U2, Bob Dylan or the Old and New Testaments, which endlessly explore complicated moral issues.

Delirious? was not about probing within but offering a simple declaration of faith. It was the music that took it higher.

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