Noho News Jan 2000
Having experienced their celebratory and incendiary live shows, it was with some trepidation that I placed this disc into the CD player.

"There is no way," I thought to myself, "that a sound this big, this frenzied, and this captivating could ever be captured in the studio and transferred to a home stereo system. No way." Way. Delivery is a lava-hot explosion of groove that kicks you in the butt and rocks you 'til you're drenched in sweat and ready to make love. A delightful blend of Latin percussion, soul horns, funk guitar popular themes and the kind of intricate musical inventiveness seen in the best Broadway shows, the recording is a total gas.

The album opens with the one-two-three punch of "Opatereo," "9069" and "Dip It," all very nifty, percolating and infused with sugar- throat smooth vocals that build to a rabble-rousing shout.

That description applies to the whole album. Crowd-pleasing favorites like "Monkey" and "Crazy" are perhaps a bit more tame here than in the uproarious stage show, but this enables you to revel in the sleek arrangements.

By the time they get to the album's striking power ballad, "Rain," you can marvel at the emotion while your body rests - and you'll need it; if your hips aren't wobbly by this point, you're probably not alive. As Noël's ethereal plea echoes into the spaces of your mind, the bonus cut, "Axe...(The Power)" kicks in, and you're ready to rock all over again.

It's impossible to credit every body in a monumental endeavor like this, but a few special mentions are in order besides lauding Noël's superb lead vocals: Carmen Grillo, guitar; Jeffrey Oswald, keyboards; the In & Out Horns; and a percussion section that just won't quit. A tip of the hat to Eric Jorgensen for orchestrations that bring out the best in Noël's excellent compositions.

If Cecilia Noël and the Wild Clams come to your town, and they probably will one day, do yourself a favor and see their mind-blowing show. Until then, pick up Delivery and throw your own dance party.