(Indie Release; see http://www.myspace.com/stephenlawrenson). Pennsylvanian Stephen Lawrenson may be quietly penning some of the best, most gorgeously layered post-Beatles pop since Badfinger laid down their guitars. "Home To Me," a ridiculously affecting love song from his third release, will have you scrambling to catch up with this brightly shining, criminally overlooked pop avatar.

Yet another melodically accomplished pop maestro flying criminally under the radar, Pennsylvania singer/songwriter Stephen Lawrenson’s second album finds a guitar pop classicist just entering his prime. Lawrenson picks up on a million anglophile bits, from late-period Beatles to Crowded House to the latter-day Paisley Pop/Not Lame stable of stars, but his songs are far too smart and savvy to bow to mere imitation. Somewhere Else, successful on everything from lugubrious ballads to sharp, taut riff-happy rockers --a perfect exemplar of which is “Faith In You,” a killer—is a sly power pop gem.