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Masked Intruder

III

Written by: PP on 26/12/2019 07:37:46

Much like Teenage Bottlerocket, Masked Intruder is a one-trick pony when it comes to their studio output. For three albums now, they have been writing catchy, sugarcoated no-frills pop punk with very little deviation from one record to another. "III" is their first since 2014's "M.I.", so unlike the aforementioned, the masked gimmick is still relatively fresh in our minds and hasn't yet turned stale.

Stylistically, it's all pretty simple. Straight-forward pop punk songs about girls, love and other 'soft' topics, sung in clean, upbeat fashion. An infectious hook here, catchy sing-along there, and a decent tempo throughout means there's plenty to like for any Dopamines, Copyrights or even The Lillingtons fans on here. Songs like "Maybe Even" tackle forbidden love with a good dose of humour, while "Mine All Mine" is a classic pop punk banger throughout. The lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek attitude that has always been a staple for Masked Intruder both live and on recorded output hasn't been toned down at all and given they avoid the obvious trap of overpolish in the production department, the result is an altogether enjoyable - albeit simple - pop punk record.

There is one critique in particular that applies to all Masked Intruder records including this one: while all of the records are pretty good, they are never really...great. It's difficult to point out exactly one reason why: the songs are catchy, fun, upbeat, and most importantly, consistent with few weaklings on any record. But what is missing is that core three or four songs that'd put them at the forefront of the pop punk movement. The intruder gimmick is pretty funny, especially live, and a good contrast to the cheesy love songs in content, but it alone isn't enough to suggest something greater is going on here. That being said, much like its predecessors, "III" is a rather enjoyable package of pop punk without necessarily pushing the genre forward in any particular direction.

Download: Mine All Mine, I'm Free At Last, Maybe Even
For the fans of: The Dopamines, Teenage Bottlerocket, The Copyrights, The Lillingtons
Listen: Facebook

Release date 01.03.2019
Pure Noise Records