Healing Rain

1	Here I Am 5:10
2	Healing Rain 4:59
3	Live Forever 5:19
4	Hang On 4:13
5	Fly to the Moon 5:20
6	Human Spark 4:50
7	We Can't Wait Any Longer 4:42
8	I Am Love 3:56
9	Bridge Over Troubled Water 4:44
10	Eagles Fly 3:07
11	All I Want 4:33

Barnes & Noble

While Michael W. Smith's detour into worship music during the past five years has earned him numerous awards, a return to the pop fold is long overdue. Smith, after all, defined Christian pop with such culturally relevant releases as This Is Your Time and Change Your World, but the fact is, Healing Rain is a bit more spotty. Opening track "Here I Am" is the kind of sweeping, rafter-raising anthem Smith has become known for, but it's followed by the title track, a simple hymn inexplicably given the same bombastic treatment, effectively reducing its message to a cliché. Indeed, much of Healing Rain offers a simplistic perspective: When things get tough, just repeat the mantra "hang on, no, never givin' up, never givin' in." Once you've accepted Christ, you're "ready to fly, watching eagles fly." Even death is given a cheery brush-off, since "I believe we'll live forever, you and I." Maybe in Smith's rarefied existence things are that cut-and-dried, but in the real world life asks a little more of our faith. Thankfully, Healing Rain redeems itself with more thoughtful tracks like "I Am Love" and a surprisingly resonant cover of the Simon & Garfunkel classic "Bridge over Troubled Water," tracks that encourage in a way the others do not. While it isn't exactly Smith's best work, Healing Rain is a worthy return to the world of songwriting. Lisa Zhito

All Music Guide

Michael W. Smith's career has spanned three decades, with over seven-million-records sold and 25 number one singles, Smith has consistently been one of Christian music's most solid performers. On his latest release Healing Rain, Smith uplifts his beliefs to produce a disc worthy of praise. On the cuts like the title track and "Here I Am" Smith seems at ease with his direction and his performance. On tunes like "Fly to the Moon" Smith varies from a piano driven melody and opts for guitars to lead the way while the cut "We Can't Wait Any Longer" offers up looping drums and synths to deliver a poignant message. An enjoyable detour exists in the form of "Bridge Over Troubled Water." While many would consider a Simon & Garfunkel cover to be untouchable, Smith covers the tune with realism and passion. The cut is not only musically excellent but vocally the song is delivered with conviction. Healing Rain is a statement for Michael W. Smith. It's a testimony to an artist comfortable within a genre that he's owned for 20 years. ~ Steven Douglas Losey, All Music Guide