Michael W. Smith was one of the first Christian rock/pop artists to achieve widespread success with a mainstream secular audience. HEALING RAIN is one of his most accessible offerings, combining the pure pop melodic flair of Vertical Horizon and Matchbox Twenty with the grandiose arena-rock production style favored by bands like Styx. Lyrically, Smith's declarations of faith and hope are broad and sweeping, often falling less into the praise & worship bag and more into a category that could be termed "positive outlook." Musically, the album uses the full range of modern sounds, from the sweeping strings and mechanized beats of "Live Forever" to the rich vocal harmonies and No Doubt-esque synth melodies of "Eagles Fly." A special treat is the singer's dramatic version of the Simon & Garfunkel classic "Bridge over Troubled Water," which proves that Smith can turn even secular songs into stirring expressions of faith.