It’s been four years, more or less, but music-making brother-sister duo Mike and Micaela (a.k.a. Mick) Benedicto—who named their band Outerhope, after a novel by Nicola Barker—are back with a second album.

Writer/ editor/ dancer Joelle Jacinto has their first album, Strangely Paired, to blame for her “new appreciation for softer, gentler music.” Director/ unabashed music enthusiast Quark Henares named their debut as one of his Best of the Year in an article for BURN magazine (“A brilliant, brilliant album,” he called it). And music critic/ gig organizer Cris O. Ramos Jr. also ranked it among his best albums of the year, and described it as “Dreamy twee-pop that makes you think of rainbows, the stars, the park and the beach, among a lot of other pleasant things.”

And now we have a second set of songs to swoon over. And, happily, while retaining all the virtues of the first—beguiling harmonies, impeccable tunes, words that are eloquent and meaningful yet never heavy-handed—it is even better. It is called A Day For The Absent, it has been on sale at Fully Booked since October 31, and you should go and get it.

Here are Mike and Mick with a few notes on a few of the songs (accompanied by excerpts from the lyrics):

“An Unusual Line of Sight”

I’ll make you a hundred postcards/ Tied to a hot-air balloon/ Photos of different folks singing the blues/ Wrapped in the daily news

MICK: The opening track, “An Unusual Line of Sight,” continues where our first album, Strangely Paired, leaves off. While working on Strangely Paired, I knew it wasn’t possible for my brother and me to share a writing style, yet it’s a surprise common “thing” that we found, the inclination to take things that really happened, and make them appear made-up and slightly absurd. This song describes an imaginary correspondence between two people who haven’t seen each other in a long time.

“Anna Gabrielle”

Anna Gabrielle, sweet sixteen/ With a whip-like tongue/ And she photographs so well

MICK: Through the course of arranging and recording this song [about our cousin Anna 10 years ago], it has evolved into more of a summer-sounds inspired number, which makes it fit perfectly in the theme of A Day For The Absent, because every day was summer and she only went to school about 20 times that whole year. A deleted back-up line: “An absentee all year round; the second row is missing out.” As of this writing, she hasn’t heard this song and I figure it might make her upset, as this song is part fairy-tale, like most of our songs are. She was indeed a part-time cashier, and we did crash the neighbor’s pool, but she didn’t technically run away. She was only, figuratively, nowhere to be found.

“The Man With The Pipes”

Oh the man with the pipes he sounds like Frank/ In the forties, about to try his luck at the movies/ Come Nancy, and everything avant-garde

MICK: I decided that the only way to write about my dad (who passed away two days before the launch of Strangely Paired) without being overly emotional was to think of him as a sort of mythical figure. This way he becomes Johnny Appleseed, or Puff the Magic Dragon. I also meant to liken him to a modern day Pied Piper, whistling and humming “follow me, follow me.” My dad was an excellent whistler and belonged to this rare breed of men who are both goofy and debonair. My brother and I have always wanted to do a folk song in the pared down, traditional sense, and I think this is the closest we’ve ever gotten. I think my dad would have liked it more if it had been patterned after an old jazz standard, but unluckily we didn’t really inherit that sensibility. This album, to me, is about ghosts, and he is my favorite one.

“Cabbage and Cauliflower”

Between back and forth all intentions slipped past/ Then we’re left with telling stories at last

MIKE: [The title] “Cabbage and Cauliflower” was taken from a clay animated film [called The Adventures of Mark Twain that I saw in the ‘80s] that I was finally able to get my hands on a few years ago. The actual quote went “Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.” The song is an homage to the movie itself as well. The images gave me (as far as my recollection can permit, after twenty dormant years or so) at once, the exact same feeling of bedazzlement and horror, confusion and comfort: the floating ship, the disillusioned Huckleberry Finn, the creepy misplaced portal to Hell. As with every attempt to venture back into childhood, oblivion meets you halfway. Eventually and somewhat unfortunately, memory takes a back seat to reflection. The song starts pointing to an inescapable tug-o-war. Staying or leaving. Catching or throwing. Back-ing or forth-ing. It’s a fitting conclusion I reckon for the record and its protagonists who did attend college but still struggle against feeling like vegetables.

MICK: I was not as attached as [as Mike] was to Mark Twain, so instead this song makes me think of Peter Pan and the rest of us who refuse to grow old.

A Day For The Absent is available at Fully Booked (The Fort/High Street, Rockwell and Greenhills branches) and at Heima Cubao X. Visit www.myspace.com/outerhope for more about Mike and Mick and their music. Send questions and comments to Luis at thekingofnothingtodo@yahoo.com.