B-Side Guys

In the time it takes for an intrusive thought to complete its first circuit through your mind, MOVESET’s aptly titled “Intrusive” has already begun its relentless spiral. The Oxford, Massachusetts outfit’s debut year offering captures the claustrophobic nature of anxiety with architectural precision, building a post-hardcore monument to mental chaos.

The track’s structure mirrors its subject matter with brutal efficiency. When the opening lines “Thoughts they/Spiral in my head” crash into consciousness, accompanied by the physical manifestation of “A tremble in my legs,” the band establishes both lyrical and sonic patterns that will cycle through the entire piece. This immediate connection between mental and physical symptoms creates a visceral authenticity that sets the tone for everything that follows.

The production choices serve the material’s intensity perfectly, particularly in the way the vocals navigate between clear articulation and emotional release. The line “Made up/Every day I wear a mask like it’s make up” delivers its metaphor with a clarity that makes the subsequent descent into chaos feel earned rather than arbitrary.

MOVESET’s approach to the post-hardcore genre shows remarkable maturity for a band in their debut year. Rather than relying on pure volume or aggression, they use dynamic shifts to create tension, particularly effective in the way the chorus’s repetitive “Can’t get out of it” builds from desperate whisper to primal scream.

The track’s bridge section provides one of its most powerful moments, with the declaration “Analyze the past like it’s data/It’s corrupt” offering a sharp critique of how we process trauma. The production here layers vocals in a way that suggests multiple thought patterns competing for attention, creating a sonic representation of mental overflow.

When the song moves into its cycling section, repeating “And it cycles/On and on and on” against increasingly intense instrumentation, MOVESET demonstrates their understanding of how to use repetition as both musical device and thematic reinforcement. The overlapping vocals create a disorienting effect that puts listeners inside the experience being described.

The attention to detail in the arrangement deserves special mention, particularly in how the instruments work together to create a sense of escalating tension. Each element contributes to the overall sensation of being trapped in a thought loop, while maintaining enough clarity to avoid descending into mere noise.

The track’s conclusion, with its stripped-back delivery of “I can’t get out of my head,” arrives like exhaustion after a panic attack. This final section’s relative sparseness makes it all the more impactful, suggesting that sometimes the quietest moments of anxiety can be the most overwhelming.

Through careful attention to both sonic architecture and emotional authenticity, MOVESET has created a striking debut that stands out in the current post-hardcore landscape. “Intrusive” succeeds not just as a representation of anxiety, but as a fully realized artistic statement that suggests exciting possibilities for this emerging band’s future.