Masked Intruder – Self Titled

Over the past few years, secret identity bands have popped up more and more frequently.  There was the Green Day side project The Network, then the massive group The Sound of Animals Fighting and don’t forget The United Nations. Those are just three that I could think of off the top of my head (would The Locust count as one? I’m not sure) and there’s tons more out there. The latest of which isMasked Intruder – a band who was once drunkenly described to me as “Teenage Bottlerocket with Mikey Erg.”

And quite frankly, that’s a damn good description.

Masked Intruder is a straight forward pop-punk act unlike most in recent memory. They’re unabashedly leaning on the pop-tendencies, but with a sped up-power punch that just gets you excited. They’re a modern day Chixdiggit! with a dash of The Queers in there as well; and yes – it’s Mikey Erg with Teenage Bottlerocket tendencies too. Think, if you will – Beach Boys pop meet The Ramones punk. All of it adds up and it makes perfect sense that Fat Wreck just scooped them up for their follow-up.

Alas, we’re not here to discuss their follow-up but instead their self-titled debut and what a flurry of activity it is. Masked Intruder is twelve songs of pure pop-punk love songs (with a quick thirty second introduction thrown in as well).

Like any good pop-punk love song, these are over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek anthems bringing the love songs to an almost stalkerish quality. 25 to Life, Breakin’ and How Do I Get To You all have that signature love-struck tales but none compares to the album highlight of Heart Shaped Guitar. Featuring guest vocals from Mixtapes’ Maura Weaver, the song’s duelling vocals tell the story of singing love songs on Maura’s front yard at 3AM and is by far the best pop-punk song of the year.

There are moments when Blue’s vocals could be a tad too high pitch for some, but for any pop-punk aficionado, Masked Intruder is a perfect addition to their collection. For unrelentingly up-beat pop-punk, you need look no further than this. Plus, where else would you get a line like “Well, I guess I must be a pretty sorry sight to see. I get turned down more than the beds at a Super 8” followed by a song about robbing a guy a knife-point. Nowhere, that’s where.

Toby – where do you continually find bands like these?