Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Knowing what I do about the creepy, copycat nature of the Nashville CCM machine I approached this release, with its press release name dropping Jennifer Knapp and Jonatha Brooke, looking for the derivative bits. And sure enough there's a passage on 'Katy Hudson' which is a dead ringer for one on Ms Brooke's debut while elsewhere the intense, semi-hysteria of Alanis Morrisette is clearly evident in Katy's vocal approach. But let's be sensible about this. Few indeed are the creative pioneers in mainstream music too and every week there's a shoal of secular releases echoing the sound of the hitmakers. More importantly, Katy clearly is a real vocal talent and the breathtaking fact that she's a mere 16 years old suggests a major star in the making. The production/arrangements by Tommy Collier, Otto Price and David Browning are exemplary and the songs, whether dealing with the challenges of moving into adulthood both physical and spiritual ("Growing Pains") or a bold declaration of the reliability of trust in Christ ("Faith Don't Fail"), are top notch. All but the most cynical of fans should investigate this bright new talent.

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