This quintet of Portland musicians tread in the same still pond water as Iron & Wine and Elliott Smith, painting visions of loneliness and longing in pale, sunset tones under threat of losing the light altogether. Just when you think a tune might sink into a bottomless emotional malaise better avoided, drummer/singer Sarah Winchester and singer/songwriter Aaron Gerber pull up on the throttle, albeit with considerable restraint (or is it hesitation?). “Third of Life” is a fine example, with its murmuring acoustic guitars turning into white-hot electric ones as the song rises like a phoenix from gray embers. It’s a beauty. Throughout the collection, Winchester and Gerber’s vocals dance together, waltzing in out of lyrics like, “I'm alright, or maybe will be if you wait a hundred days to go home,” and “I’ll be mean as a hammer/driving a nail.” Everyday Balloons, their sophomore release, is a beautiful, moody experience that may both lift a spirit, or help roiling emotions to settle gracefully.