Music Review: Masked Intruder, Love and Other Crimes

By Tyler Hodg

Who needs time machines when throwback bands like Masked Intruder exist? The band’s latest effort, an EP titled Love and Other Crimes, sounds like a direct callback to pop-punk’s heyday in the early 2000s, but perhaps a little too much. Although still a fun listen, a lack of originality removes much-needed substance from the album.

Without a doubt, Love and Other Crimes is juvenile. For some, this can be a bad thing; silly ditties don’t appeal to a greater audience. But for those who grew up loving the symbolic sounds of irreverence, Masked Intruder’s music perfectly captures the essence of angst—and poopy humor.

The lyrics are one of the greatest strengths of the album. They are non-poetic—in the best way possible—and lines like “Dick move, it’s cool / I’ve still got your stuff, dude” can be stupid funny. There is no letup, as the self-aware humor lasts from the opener “Take What I Want,” to the last track “If Only.”

However, when nostalgia and immature themes aren’t taken into consideration, what’s left is a batch of underwhelming tracks. There are catchy hooks to each of the six songs, but their listenable nature doesn’t overtake their primitive composition. The chord progressions are generic, and so are the melodies.

If the music was to go into fresh and interesting directions, there would be a greater case for Love and Other Crimes. Instead, the songs are safe, and don’t explore any different musical territories. Taking influence from the past is fine, but progression is a key element to intriguing tracks.

This means that unfortunately, the album is one-dimensional. There is little diversity between the songs, and their overproduction—particularly with the vocals—makes for a stale listening experience. Love and Other Crimes is not terrible by any means, but that doesn’t make it special.

Masked Intruder has a decent record to work off of, but they must strive for uniqueness to set them apart from the millions of other pop-punk clones. The amusing nature of Love and Other Crimes wears off quickly, and is evidently a mediocre effort.

Love and Other Crimes was released by Pure Noise Records on July 8.