Boracay Planet (Bonus Track Version)

After a stellar and beguiling debut—2010's Summer Heart—Mikey Maramag continues the journey as Blackbird Blackbird with an EP that also has a few remix tracks. It's a gorgeous offering to fans who've been patiently waiting for more. The first tune, "It's a War," is a dreamy, enveloping number built on simple piano notes, hazily echoing guitars, a relaxed dance beat, and Maramag's melancholic vocals. The most striking element, however, is a raft of guitar notes that almost feels out of place in the dusky, inward-looking tune (think early Cure meets Washed Out). The notes flutter with clarity in a melody that's oddly comforting and familiar. Most of Boracay Planet is like that: seemingly simple tunes pull the heart and mind with gentle coaxing to join the glittering and slightly narcotized party atmosphere. "All" features more spiraling, tunnel-like guitar and synth work; it's topped with scattered synth notes that mimic steel drums but clearly live in the digital world. Talk about mood; Blackbird Blackbird is a master of the stuff.