Reviewed by Mark Hewerdine

The rich, smooth voice of South African Assent Tweed is a delight throughout this debut release. Punchy production and catchy melodies work well though at times Tweed overstretches himself stylistically as he attempts to cover many bases: from heartfelt ballads to hip-hop-flavoured R&B, to smooth soul and on to Latin-flavoured floor-fillers. "It's Alright" is an effective opener and "Allelyuah"'s Latin rhythm will keep feet tapping. Tweed is definitely at his strongest on the more straight forward soul numbers - "You Are Mine" is a highlight, whilst forays into hip-hop territory are less successful. The over-wrought though heartfelt title track will not be to everyone's tastes and listeners may wish to skip the spoken word break which somewhat spoils "Each Time". Listeners should also be warned that inlay and CD case tracklistings differ considerably and neither order seemed to match the music! Tweed's vocals are always engaging and passionate; lyrics offer encouragement, exhortation to praise God through all circumstances and inspiration through personal testimony of God's goodness. Though a little editing and more focus would have helped, 'Here Is My Heart' nevertheless offers a soothing and uplifting listen.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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