Mico
Standing Inside A Shadow (2001)
Scott Heisel
40 minutes and 53 seconds of rock. That's about the easiest way to sum up this release. This Canadian quintet takes all that is stale and overdone in the "emo" genre and gives all of it a fresh, new spin. Every time I listen to this disc, I just hear so much potential contained in this band.
Tracks like "Section One" and "Hallyon Day" are great rockers, with great dual-voiced choruses and serrated guitar lines that mangle the melody and reconstruct it as they see fit. The band doesn't shy away from quieter moments, though. One listen to "Found In Your Possession" will make you a believer in the band's ability to tone things down but still rock it out. The band also brings to the table 3 different guitarists ala Bad Religion, allowing for some pretty original interplay between the left and right channels of your speakers. The instrumental "18.12.79" is a surefire example, with a solid 2 minute soothing chord-laden buildup to the powerful crescendo that you can see coming from a mile away, and yet you don't mind at all because you know it's going to kick ass. But the band is not all instruments. The lyrics hold up, too: "Instinctive motions pacify my thoughts / They free your mind of what corrupts" is one of my favorite lines from the album.
I would highly recommend Mico to fans of older Sunny Day Real Estate, Jimmy Eat World ["Static Prevails" era], or to anyone who ever wanted to hear the Weakerthans' faster material with more of a darker edge to it. This Alberta band is well on their way to making a name for themselves, and you'd be a fool not to know about them.