My Escapade may be a relatively unknown Australian band now, but after listening to their 2011 EP Painted Faces it can be predicted they won’t remain that way for much longer.

With this EP being only their second release, you could be forgiven for thinking My Escapade were a band that has been in the music profession for years – Painted Faces is a captivating and mysterious EP, with eloquent lyrics and whimsical vocals giving it an almost dreamlike quality.

Teaming up with winning engineer Paul McKercher (Eskimo Joe, Sarah Blasko, You Am I) has worked in the band's favour, with the EP sure to catch the attention of the indie rock loving general public.

The EP opens on "Soldier Child" one of the more instrumentally diverse songs, with a mellow sounding building up to a suspenseful chorus and ending with Jason Lucas showcasing how powerful his vocals are.

"Mechanical Love" opens with solid drumming and overlying guitar melodies, before Lucas once again steals the show with his mesmerising vocals.

"Burden" is also a stunning song, filled with emotive and thoughtful lyrics, providing not only an enjoyable listening experience but a journey, demonstrated in lyrics such as ‘I’m holding on for something, that takes away my breath, I lie awake impatient, as I’m put to the test.’

"Storm" closes the EP, with a sound slightly reminiscent of a mix between Eskimo Joe and The Sundance Kids. A slower, mellower song, it showcases a heavier instrumental emphasis with Lucas’s voice once again working well with the intricate lyrics to create a mesmerising effect.

Painted Faces is an exceptional second EP. The band have done a near flawless record with each song portraying a new dimension and if this is just a taste of what they are capable of, I expect we’ll be hearing more from them in the future.

Review score: 8.5/10