My first encounter with punk rockers, Masked Intruder was last year at The Stone Pony to see the legendary punk cover band, Me First & The Gimme Gimmes. Before the headliners performed, four bank robbing-looking musicians took the stage hooded in different colored ski masks and Chuck Taylors. The unofficial fifth member of the band would be a beat cop that would do all sorts of crazy things throughout the show.
It was really fresh and fun to see a band on stage with a gimmick. But Masked Intruder also impressed the sold out crowd with a set of fast pop punk love songs. I was instantly hooked. The band was a mix of what I could best describe as NOFX becoming a doo-wop group.
The band’s recent release, III is exactly that. The record is incredibly fun, sarcastic, and very heartfelt at it’s core. Here’s a few top tracks:
“All of My Love”
This track could just as easily be written as an ’60s love song instead of a 2019 punk rock single. With old school harmonies and the hook-ey chorus “All I have to offer you is all of my love” this is easily one of top tracks on the record. The high harmonies also remind me of classic punk rockers, No Use For a Name. This is good sample size of what III embodies.
“I’ll Be Back Again Someday”
Earlier, I compared the band to a doo-wop group, but maybe I should have said Barber Shop Quartet. This track starts with an a capella intro of harmonized “ooo’s” and some pretty high notes that is briefly revisited in the bridge. Cue the drum fill and the powerful chord progression. The chorus of this track is a promise to return, most likely when our lead singer, Blue gets out of jail. This is almost a more romantic call back to another Masked Intruder single, “When I Get Out.”
“Please Come Back to Me”
I’m sure you’re starting to sense a theme here, but that’s what I love about punk rock. It’s high energy and it’s to the point. We don’t have to decipher any deep meaning here because this song is simply about a lost love. With backing “Shoo-wop” “Doo-wop” tracks and a catchy guitar riff, “Please Come Back to Me” is the track your going to want to dance to. I love the ’80s rock intro that meets Grease that meets punk rock. The dual guitar solo is stellar as well.
“Mine All Mine”
I could actually see a version this track being on featured in the movie That Thing You Do. The chorus is fantastic with lines like “I’m down on my knees baby, please belong to me” and, “Please be mine all mine.” It’s so old school but so punk rock. Again, there’s a theme here, but man does it work. This is the kind of thing that makes it hard to pick a favorite track.
Ironically, only one song on III passes the three-minute mark and that is absolutely perfect. It’s refreshing to see a Punk Rock act at the top of their game, as I thought those days were long gone. (Also be sure to check out some of the accompanying music videos to get an idea of the humor that comes along with band members Blue, Red, Green, and Yellow)
Although a super gimmicky band, that really is just the icing on the cake. There ‘s a lot of substance here. III is an insta-buy and a must for any punk rock fan.
Rating: 9 out of 10
