Pop punk has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. From the first time I heard Dookie and Smash 20 years ago to hearing Dude Ranch a few years later to the present crop of bands. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the bands that are out today but most of them are not good. And what is it with all the pizza stuff? Yes I listen to bands that have arose in the past few years, bands like Give and Take, Transit, Aurora and The Wonder Years but that very could be the top of the iceberg for me nowadays. There is nothing to make today’s bands stick out. Enter Masked Intruder and their new album, M.I.

Masked Intruder is a four piece pop punk band from Wisconsin that wears colored ski masks. They are known as Intruder Blue, Intruder Red, Intruder Green and Intruder Yellow. They perform in the masks and when they give interviews and do photo shoots, they have them on. So right off the bat we have a small tribute to the Fathers of pop-punk, The Ramones. No one really knows who they are, of course there is speculation but noting has been proved. As far as I am concerned, I couldn’t care less. These four guys are making some really good music right now and that is all that matters.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94n6Z9014[/youtube]

After listening to the album maybe 3 or 4 times it dawned on me that there are two topics that are common throughout this album, breaking the law and love. What a deadly combo! They waste no time jumping right into breaking the law. The first song is called, “I Fought The Law”. This is a song about just trying to have a good time with your friends and it been interrupted by the cops. Something this writer can relate to growing up. I spent a many Saturday nights doing stupid stuff with my friends while I was in high school. And most of the nights we were listening to pop punk. So this song holds a special place in my heart. Not only that but it is on this song that you will hear some of the best guitar playing in this genre today. And I can’t forget the melodies on this track. The next song, “The Most Beautiful Girl” as you can figure out is about love. This is my favorite song on the album. Why is that I wonder? Could it be because there is a lyric that goes, “When you look my way I feel like I’ve been hit by a Care Bear stare for real” or another reason? Either way this song is magic. It one of those songs you listen to while traveling alone and sing at the top of your lungs or while outside at night on a blanket looking up at the stars. This is how you write a pop punk love song. “Crime Spree” does a good job of combining the two topics of crime and love. Kind of like a Bonnie and Clyde thing. This song is cute and well written. Again the guitar playing is stellar. Then there is the song, “Almost Like We’re Already In Love”. This might be the best song on the album simply because it is the band out of their element. This track has a doo-wop feel to it, it’s just four guys and their voices. The best part is it sounds darn good. These guys can sing as well. The album does a good job of going back and forth between the two topics. It is actually nice to hear. It is nice to hear a pop punk band that knows the roots of the genre. This is the band that is truly “Defending Pop-Punk”.

Score: 4/5