Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

In the early '70s, one of the pioneers of contemporary Christian music was Jimmy Owens who wrote church musicals that signalled the first acceptance of Christian pop music in the wider church. Jamie is his daughter and this album from 1975 was her second and features what is probably her most famous song, "The Victor" which was also cut by Keith Green. Jamie's clear voice has the purity of a folk singer and before the arrival of Amy Grant she could lay claim to the status as Christendom's best loved female singer. 'Growing Pains' is very much of its time with a production and instrumentation akin to the recordings of Keith Green in that era. Standouts include "My Jesus I Love Thee" and "I've Never Had To Go This Far Before", with the latter sounding like a prototype of the sound that Green would create on his early albums.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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