Standing Inside a Shadow is the debut album by Mico. Includes the bonus track "White Page" which did not appear on the original release.

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 favourite 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. - Punknews.org

Like kids to broccoli, Mico are strongly adverse to sappy love songs. Mico blasts through 11 explosively emotional songs with a feistiness propelled by three seamlessly interwoven guitars and a tireless rhythm section. However, instead of relying on feelings that usually drive heartbroken musicians to write the best and worst poetry ever, Mico lunge forth with a passionate frustration coupled with complacency. If you opt to zone out on the meaningful lyrics (dramatically delivered by John Stewart), it'll be easy to drift away in the warm swirls of compelling instrumentation. The momentum stays alive throughout the album - not only is the album tight and concise, but it's an exciting listen, too. Fans of Hot Water Music, Swervedriver and Samiam should prick up their ears and give this album a spin. - Exclaim!