Delerium
Poem
[Nettwerk]
Rating: 5.2
"Delerium" isn't technically a word. I think "delirium" was what the artist
intended, actually: a temporary state of mental confusion resulting from high
fever, intoxication, or shock, marked by anxiety, disorientation,
hallucinations, delusions, trembling, and incoherence. I guess this is my
problem: Delerium's music doesn't fit this description. At all.
The one remotely apt word in the definition is "intoxication," but in
Poem's case, it's not the type that leads to confusion. Rather, it's a
becalming intoxication, like popping a couple downers. Take, for instance,
the album's opener, "Terra Firma." The track glides into sonic range with
mandolin pluckings and a rhythmic tide, which soon bow out to a relaxed
techno beat, Gregorian-esque chants, sweeping strings and electronic
windpipes.
If this description sounds familiar, it's because Delerium's near cousins are
Dead Can Dance and Enigma. While the similarity is unavoidable-- I would've
felt guilty had I not mentioned it-- Delerium are decidedly less pretentious
and even less grandiose, with a sound that's considerably more lush than its
thinner counterparts. Delerium's wider range of instrumentation, as well as
their grounded beats, keep their sound from sailing into the stratosphere.
But perhaps Rhys Fulber and Bill Leeb's most significant advantage over reheated
new age goth is that they realize how quick this world beat-meets-exalted-vocals
formula can wear thin. One solution: guest vocalists. Backed by a crisp beat
recalling recent Massive Attack, Sixpence None the Richer's Leigh Nash adds an
unexpected earthliness to "Innocente." Solar Twins' Joanna Stevens guest
appearances on two tracks, however, fall flat-- although not by her own fault.
Unnecessary atmospheric manipulation of her voice and juxtapositions with
chanting render the songs passive and forgettable. The most notable
contributor here is Matthew Sweet, whose vocals on "Daylight" are
disappointing; without an energetic pop song to back him up, Sweet's voice
loses any of its emotive power.
But in the end, the guest vocalists are secondary. The beat's the thing. When
Delerium forego the listless Gregorics and stale beats employed by their more
renowned contemporaries, they truly shine. The beat-heavy "Aria," for instance,
and the salsa-esque "Fallen Icons" are arguably Poem's strongest tracks.
But these moments occur only now and then, and are often sandwiched between
songs that, while helping you survive the subway's rush-hour crunch, won't
meet your needs at any other time-- unless you're about to have a mid-life
crisis. So then, we have our definition of "delerium": a temporary state of
mental calmness resulting from soothing, tidal rhythms, marked by calmness,
enhanced orientation, 20/20 vision, and coherence.
-Ryan Kearney