“Semper Augustus” is the second EP from Portland’s Mango Floss, a trio that plays dreamy indie-pop with just a hint of psychedelia.

Front and center in the mix is the voice and guitar of Sarah Wood. As a singer, Wood brews up an interesting vocal stew influenced by three decades of diverse female singers. At times, her singing recalls the laid-back musings of Edie Brickell combined with the playful quirkiness of Regina Spektor, with the lyrics often delivered with a weary sense of resignation rather than a full-throated roar.

Musically, Mango Floss pays homage to the early ’80s college radio sound of R.E.M. and 10,000 Maniacs filtered through the prism of ’90s jangle-pop. Styles range from the jazzy pop-rock of the opening track “Tulipomania” to the laid-back country shuffle of “Quantum Mechanics.”

Bassist Farhan Rahman and drummer Peter McLaughlin are a solid rhythm section, anchoring the sound to a firm foundation, but loose enough to let the songs breathe. It’s Rahman and McLaughlin who drive the song “Summer,” livening up the track with some quirky time changes that keep the listener guessing.

However, one of the stand-out tracks is the haunting “Ventriloquist,” a song that features just Wood and her guitar with no other accompaniment. It’s also Wood’s best vocal performance, with some of Lucinda Williams’ alt-country longing mixed with the world weariness of ’70s-era Bonnie Raitt and topped off with just a tiny sprinkle of Emmylou Harris. The guitar, coated with just the thinnest glaze of reverb, is the icing on the cake.

The closing track, “Godzilla,” (a new version of a song from 2010’s “Monster” EP) is a foot-stomping rocker. With loud, echo-y guitars courtesy of Bryan Buchanan that ring and scream behind a talk-sung vocal from Wood, the song almost sounds like a Suzanne Vega track, if Suzanne were backed by Bob Mould and Thurston Moore. Loud guitars with melody? Yes, please!

Mango Floss has already built up a solid reputation in the Portland scene based on its live gigs. No doubt the new tracks from “Semper Augustus” will only add to that reputation. The six-song EP is available to download for $1 (a steal!)

The band is also releasing a hard copy in a stunning handmade package limited to 50 copies for $3. Do yourself a favor and spend the extra two bucks.

Rick Johnson is a freelance writer and radio host from Westbrook. He can be reached at:

rjohnson.rock@gmail.com