Hiram Joseph - Speak Lord To Me (1997)

Reviewed by Mike Rimmer
Canadian Hiram Joseph has one of those soothing, smooth voices that seems to slide like silk from the stereo speakers. No surprise then that his music has already been recognised with awards in North America. This, his second album, mixes a variety of styles into the pot to add and generally it works although Hiram sounds less comfortable on the up tempo stuff like "When The Praises Go Up" or "Praise The Lord" than he does on the ballads where he can take his time to make every note count! This is generally in an inspirational category pitched somewhere between Steve Green and Ron Kenoly and perhaps the arrangements are a little too overblown in places but there are some excellent moments. Where he goes acoustic on "Seek Ye First" and "To Live Is Christ", there just seems to be a little more vibe reminiscent of Anointed's "Send Out A Prayer". The title track, a smooth ballad, is an obvious focal point for Hiram's strong vocal talents and although "Let Me Be The One" may just spark off the melody of The Osmonds' "Love Me For A Reason" ticking in my mind, it's still a beautiful inspirational song. A talented singer and some good songs here.