I saw Mushu live about two years ago at The Taylor Square Hotel during the brief tenure the venue   attempted to introduce live music. The bill included a horribly under-rehearsed punk band, a satirical funk-rock band and the indie pop stylings of Mushu in stripped back acoustic form. Although I did spend most of the night wondering why three such mismatched bands were playing together on the same night, something about these guys definitely stood out.

With a brand new EP under their belts and a tour of US and Canada on the horizon, hopefully Mushu’s days of playing second rate venues are behind them. The quintet’s selftitled 6 track EP shows a lot of potential. With just their second indie release, the band demonstrate an impressive level professionalism in their arrangements, production and musicianship.

Mushu describe themselves as “alternative indie pop” and that’s exactly what you can expect. “Neap Tide” starts things off in a somewhat cliché manner with a sample of a radio switching stations. Luckily it then proceeds to build up beautifully with an atmospheric acoustic verse, before kicking into upbeat indie rock mode evocative of PJ Harvey’s more polished work. The first three tracks on the EP are definitely the strongest. The airy synth and Neil Young influenced lead guitar in “War Song” work well to compliment the somber self-reflective lyrics- “The sun rose and it set/ no blood was drawn but I can’t promise anything/ for tomorrow I’ll declare a war on myself”. “Don’t Forget Me” on the other hand is a glistening indie-pop gem with a cleverly crafted structure and a powerful hook.

While Mushu is not overly technically flashy, they are all accomplished musicians. Singer Simone Macarounas pushes all the right buttons and has an endearing girl next door quality to her voice. Guitarist, Marco Velasco, and keyboardist, Hanna Oblikov, are both very versatile players and interact superbly with each other.

It’s unfortunate that the second half of the EP does not quite live up to the same standard as the first. “Paper Aeroplane” is has a bit too much pop and not enough alternative for my liking. The remaining two tracks lack hooks strong enough to make them memorable and are just a bit too soft and downbeat. Mushu sound their best when they up the tempo and energy a little.

Consensus: While Mushu’s selftitled EP shows a band still trying to find their feet, it also shows a lot of potential, especially considering this is only their second independent release. With the right manager or producer backing them, there is no reason why they couldn’t become one of Australia’s top female fronted alternative indie pop acts.

Review score: 6.5/10