Chris Rice's third release, Smell The Color 9, certainly confirms his place among the most talented songwriters in the Christian pop music world. His Everyman persona is once again played out well in songs like "Questions for Heaven" and "The Face of Christ," where the songs' characters realize divine presence in the most mundane details of life. As in so many numbers on Deep Enough to Dream and Past the Edges, Rice's characters pose questions to the Creator that we all struggle with but seldom seem to ask. Yet the doubts are always driven by a deep desire to experience God as Rice sings in the title track ("I would take no for an answer / Just to hear you speak"). Additionally, the silky-smooth production from Monroe Jones gives Rice's tunes an almost wistful quality here, especially on the haunting ballad "Belong" and the gentle "Home Tonight." Rice now brings more styles into his music, but it's the straight songwriting skills that continue to shine so bright. --Michael Lyttle