Heart, the second album by Catholic songstress Audrey Assad, sounds a lot like you’d imagine Brooke Fraser sounding about now, if she’d gone further in the direction of Albertine rather than following the more sombre path she has in recent years.

Assad makes what is, at its core, classy pop music, albeit with a sprinkling of Norah Jones and Alison Krauss. The opening track, “Blessed are the Ones,” is a perfect slice of piano pop, showcasing Assad’s sweet voice yet packing enough grit and real warmth to distinguish it from most of the CCM production line. “Lament,” meanwhile, is a gorgeous slow-burning song, building to an engaging finale.

Lyrically, Assad seems to move between honest authenticity and simple statements of almost childlike faith, such as the “His eye is on the sparrow / and I know he’s watching me,” of “Sparrow.” At the end of the day, the sort of music found on Heart won’t start a revolution. It is, however, well made and elegant and, most of all, a joy to listen to.

Four and a half stars out of five