Source: EP Artwork
Anonymous pop-punkers Masked Intruder released their new EP Love and Other Crimes on 8th July, and it’s the perfect sugary pop-punk album for summer.
The mysterious band are made up of criminal misfits who perform behind ski masks, and are known only as Intruder Blue, Intruder Green, Intruder Yellow and Intruder Red. Since their inception in 2011, the band has released two coveted albums; 2012’s Masked Intruder and 2014’s M.I., and a handful of EPs which were extremely well received by fans and critics alike.
Love and Other Crimes is what fans of the band have learnt to expect; catchy, sing-along pop-punk anthems without the clichés and ‘woah-ohs’. The themes of the EP rest heavily on broken hearts and breaking and entering, and the crime element adds a twist to the regular angst-filled lyrics synonymous with the genre. Each song is a little bit catchier than the last, and the six tracks feel like a tease; at the end, you’re left wanting more. There are some very cheesy and romantic parts in Love and Other Crimes, particularly ‘Still Always on My Mind’, which is the slowest and longest song on the album. The rest of the tracks are fast, punchy; and pretty difficult not to love.
The songs on Love and Other Crimes aren’t very long, they all vary from two to three minutes, and this feels like a bit of a shame; you can’t help wondering what could have been. If you were really trying to find fault with the EP, the songs are a little bit samey; but even that isn’t much of a criticism in this case. Each track has the same upbeat, harmonic vocals teamed with rhythmic guitar and fast drums, which makes for very pleasurable listening for any pop-punk fan. There’s much more to it than that though; there are some very strong guitar riffs and break downs, which complement the songs perfectly.
The release of Love and Other Crimes couldn’t have come at a better time; the four-piece are currently playing Warped Tour, and this EP will win them more fans who’ll be itching to see them play. Not only that, but Love and Other Crimes is the perfect soundtrack for summer road trips. Is pop-punk dead? Definitely not. And it won’t be as long as Masked Intruder are still producing music like this.
