Given everyone’s busy schedules, it would’ve been an impossible feat for many to pull off. But Smith’s passion for helping those in need couldn’t help but resonate with everyone involved.

As anyone who’s listened to a Delirious? album before knows, however, the band had a few new musical tricks up its proverbial sleeve, too. While Smith describes the project as a “step up” from the call-to-action given in 2005’s The Mission Bell thematically, Kingdom of Comfort also marks a new progressive era in the band’s sound. In fact, it’s fair to see that Delirious? has now truly become a guitar band.

Inspired by everyone from Kings of Leon to The Killers to Sigur Ros, tracks like “Give What You Got” and “Eagle Rider” have a decidedly stripped-down, raw sound that meshes well with the album’s insistent message.

With the emphasis on the bread and butter elements of rock ’n’ roll—guitar, bass and drums—rather than incorporating elaborate string arrangements and choirs in the mix, the band was able to translate the frenetic energy of the live concert experience to the studio, giving the album a grittier vibe.

“From a production standpoint, our producer Sam Gibson [Pearl Jam, Crowded House, Hillsong United, Natalie Imbruglia] kept encouraging us to keep the energy of the live experience rather than overproducing the tracks,” Stu G says. “That deliberate focus made these songs spring to life in an entirely new way.”

While the progression in sound and social justice-minded lyrics are what immediately stand out when listening to Kingdom of Comfort, there’s also plenty of those classic Delirious? moments, replete with soaring choruses that’ll stick in your head for days. Whether it’s the penultimate piano-based track, “All God’s Children” or the gentle strains of “We Give You Praise,” it’s clear that Delirious? remains committed to its worshipful roots. But instead of providing all the answers, the band hopes that listeners will be left with plenty of thought-provoking questions.

“Kingdom of Comfort is a collection of songs inspired by our recent spiritual and physical journeys,” says bassist Jon Thatcher. “Sometimes you get so close to something you can no longer see it for what it is. This record is a journal full of observations, questions and prayers that should leave the listener inspired and inquisitive.”

* More information about the band can be found at the newly designed www.delirious.co.uk, with even more content available by joining the band’s “Living Room” at www.delirious.co.uk/livingroom.