I saw this kid live a few years back, and my best friend and I sat through his performance with our jaws on the floor and our eyes half bugging out of our heads. We couldn't believe any barely-18-year-old could sing so beautifully. Blaine Larsen is AMAZING, folks, and this CD is worth every penny ten times over.

Anyone who's ever been subjected to life in a public high school will smile ruefully at his "In My High School," a pretty tribute to all the personal triumphs and failures we experience at that age; "How Do You Get That Lonely" is a heart-wrenching story of pain and desperation that has, oddly, also become an anthem of hope as it reminds people to connect with those around them. "That's Just Me" is a toe-tapping return to a more traditionally "country" sound, while "Teaching Me How To Love You" evinces startling maturity as it focuses on the positive side of heartbreak. The title track "Off To Join The World" is a fun, new look at an old familiar story that has never failed to get a laugh from anyone I've played it for.

All in all, an absolutely stunning debut, and I look forward with bated breath to anything Blaine Larsen comes out with in future.