The Beagle Ranch is the latest musical incarnation of Calgary-based singer-songwriter Stephen Bandola. Formerly the bass player and co-frontman of early '90s college-radio favourites Citrus Park, Bandola mines a narrow but rich vein in the musical landscape: melodic guitar-based music with a strong songwriting focus and an appreciation for the perfectly crafted 3-minute pop tune.

This time around Bandola has taken over the reins completely, and while he has borrowed the talents of his former bandmates on a couple of tracks, the sound is all his. Reminiscent of other pop craftsmen such as England's The Lilac Time or Ireland's The Devlins, Bandola works slightly off the beaten path, focused on making music that matters to him rather than courting the charts' fickle muse.

The strength of the latest release Starcrossed may well result in the muse courting him, however. Gliding between quiet despair and wide-eyed optimism layered over shimmering guitar, The Beagle Ranch has captured a timeless sound that somehow seems exactly appropriate right here and now.