Deleon Richards gained fame as a preteen gospel performer before slipping out of the limelight. After a lengthy absence, she returns with Here In Me, a billowy offering of reverent tunes sung with renewed confidence and verve. DeLeon strives more for intimacy than divahood here — there are no big vocal blowouts or roof-shaking star turns among these tracks. Songs like “Please You,” “None Like You,” and the title number simmer and sparkle, accented with warm guitar chords and keyboard accents. “Worship You” wraps a praise message in a silken, slightly jazzy arrangement. “Let Go, Let God” (a commentary on overstressed lifestyles) and “Give it Up” (an altar call set to a party groove) turn up the funk quotient a few notches. Most of all Deleon shines on the ballads, delivering “Be Still” and “Clean Hands” with a restrained yet unmistakable fervor. “Testify” closes the album with a nod towards traditional African-American gospel. Behind this elegantly rendered music, there’s a sense of Deleon’s personal struggles and past brushes with scandal. Here In Me reaffirms that faith remains her source of strength through good times and bad.