mico

outside the unbearable grows

‘Canadian group Mico is both comfortable and familiar. Drawing on the Midwestern scene’s influence, they are akin vocally to The Casket Lottery. Musically, their influence seems derived, directly at points, from Philadelphia-based rock gurus Breaking Pangaea and a bit from New Jersey’s Saves the Day, circa “Can’t Slow Down.” If a band is going to build upon pre-established sounds, Mico picked two winners.

This is fine import indie rock, taking it out of the well position and onto the top shelf. It is a quadruple-distilled smooth blend that goes down slowly and leaves you willing to have more.

Mico has struck gold with “Outside the Unbearable Grows,” making it one of the star releases of 2003 on G7 Welcoming Committee’s catalogue. It’s an impressive sophomore production that should put the band at a smooth-sailing status for successful touring and, hopefully, a third album.

It’s hard not to look beyond this album and wonder what will come next. The record is tight and shows a lot of promise. Many good things are still to come from this band. Don’t look too far ahead, though, because you may miss the good things that are happening right now with “Outside the Unbearable Grows.”