Album review: Masca – Love Letters

Masca have a sound that toes a line between delirium and euphoria, which sort of sums up the human condition right now, but also their own journey as a band. Having been born out of the pandemic, and then making this debut while vocalist/guitarist Christina Maynard was pregnant and recording between throwing up, they captures chaos, family, friendship and figuring out your shit.

The three Bristolian musketeers have their fingers in many pies on Love Letters. There are minuscule details in every crevice: rhythms that change from sluggish to speedy, weird little instrumental quirks and fuzzed-up guitars, even vocals from Christina that range from Kate Bush wails to punky commands.

From opener Act My Age, it’s clear that through their weird funky rock style, they’re working their way through the overwhelm of choice and discovering who you are. Love Letters and Oxytocin feel related, as the former asks ‘Am I running out of time?’ with the latter demanding ‘Soothe me, soothe me’.

Its most spritely offering is DWIW, which channels a punky spirit, honed even further when Christina stepped in to tour with IDLES as their guitarist in 2022. Thick bass provides a bed for wiry guitar as they dig into claiming back your own time from a job you hate by pulling a cheeky sickie. Relatable and hugely fun, it feels like hitting the pub rather than clocking in.

Masca are authentic to the point where it’s quite difficult to compare or pigeonhole them, and Love Letters is like a kooky soundtrack that would play out down the rabbit hole in the world of Alice In Wonderland. This is a band with an acquired taste, but that’s what makes them quite an exciting bunch to watch bloom into something even bigger.

Verdict: 3/5

For fans of: YONAKA, Sløtface, Biffy Clyro

Love Letters is released on April 3 via Cold Hard Bangers