At singer-songwriter Vin Dancel’s invitation a few months back, I found myself at homey Point Bee studios, sitting in at the vocal sessions for Peryodiko’s “Minu-Minuto,” a new song that’s easily an apple to the orange that is the rest of the Dancel catalogue (Twisted Halo, first-record Peryodiko, the occasional solo live set), a catalogue replete with seething, impassioned, and, though I’m far from being a damn ageist, adult (I mean mature, okay, not pornographic) themes. Hidden Nikki’s Aaron Gonzales, who runs the studio, was simultaneously co-producing and manning the board, alongside the Itchyworms’ Jazz Nicolas, among others. There is an unmistakable dose of sunshine in the APO-flavored, jazz-tinged song, and Dancel’s discomfort with the idiom is palpable. This is not a bad thing, though, and I find it brave of the singer (who’s my friend, by the way, so you can take everything I say with a grain or two of salt) to step out of his usual territory. There is a lighthearted, sing-song quality in “Minu-Minuto” that would have bordered on comical if it were done by a less soulful vocalist, but this clearly wasn’t a problem with Dancel, who sounds earnest (perhaps so much so) in anything. Though the respective signatures of erstwhile guitarist Kakoy Legaspi and bassist Simon Tan were of course sorely missed, new recruits Josh Villena (on guitar) and Ian Tan (on bass) helped remold the Peryodiko proposition anew, approaching the project with a wall-of-sound ethic, bricklaying with audio, in a manner of speaking. This is most evident in carrier track “Ayoko Na ng Drama,” which brings kick-in-the-groin slabs of distortion and echo to the table, and down-tempo tune “Ispeling,” which starts tender but crescendos towards a glorious, monolithic conclusion. The lone track sung in English, “Seventeen,” deserves special mention for its punk singularity (and, okay, its proximity to Twisted Halo in mood, feel, and general timbre). But perhaps the EP’s strongest numbers are also its subtlest: mid-tempo rocker “Maaalala Mo” and rhythm-and-blues ballad “Tayo Lang ang May Alam” (though I can see how, despite its beauty, the latter may be seen as a thematic vacation of sorts). Drummer Abe Billano, who was able to wrap recording before deciding to part ways with the group, plays as fluid as ever, and was given different musical platforms to showcase his range. (Pat Sarabia, best known perhaps for her work with Wilderness, rounds up the new Peryodiko, replacing Billano and lending her infectious, devil-may-care energy into the band’s live sets.) Balik sa Simula, in a nutshell, has the Peryodiko swagger of old, but sporting, shall we say, a more colorful wardrobe—neither falling prey to facetious reinvention for the sake of, nor kicking back with an apparent surplus of confidence. Wait for it.