At the end of last year, I wrote an article about one of my favorite up-and-coming artists: MICO. At the time, I listed his project, Internet hometown hero, as his debut album. Welp, apparently that was actually just an EP…whoops. His actual debut album, When the lights turn on, dropped shortly after I wrote my initial article, and I have plenty of thoughts. Let’s get into it!
10. can’t keep crying
If I’m being totally honest, I feel like there were a few tracks on the album that could have been scrapped, which would make it the length of an EP. Part of me wonders if these tracks were just included to make this project album-length. This song is one of them.
The beginning of the chorus is catchy and I like the pre-chorus, but this song feels very disjointed. The piano clashes with the guitar which makes it sound dissonant. The part where he sings “So f*ck if I’m the asshole” did eat though; I wish more of the song sounded like this. The flow of the verses is also really awkward and jumbly. It could have been intentional because this song is supposed to be about him crashing out, but it just doesn’t really sound good. I feel similarly about the production on this track: it’s all over the place. I fear this one could have stayed on the cutting room floor.
9. OH!
This song is repetitive to the point that it low-key becomes annoying (sorry, MICO). This is another one that feels like padding so that this could be an album instead of an EP. I absolutely hated it on first listen, but now I just feel “meh” about it. It has its good parts and feels like there was more effort put into it than the last song. The verses also are slightly better this time. Their flow is kind of odd, but I appreciate that the dynamic in the second builds into the chorus. Speaking of the chorus, it’s pretty boring. It’s just the phrase “It feels like oh” over and over again.
I love when artists discuss their struggles with fame in songs, but I’m not sure it was expressed super effectively here. I think it came across a lot better in his song, “TV,” where he talks about feeling like a fraud and missing home while also not wanting to disappoint his fans. The saving graces of this song are the bridge and following outro. They are so fun and full of energy. I just wish that kind of vibe had been present throughout the whole song.
8. Do it all again
This song is also way too repetitive, which I’m sure was on purpose given the theme of “doing it all again,” but I find it pretty dull. The chorus is uninspired, despite being fairly catchy, with it being just the words “do it all again” and “know it’s gonna end” repeated. I like the pre-chorus, and the bridge on this one is also very fun. The part where he goes, “Oh my god, what the f*ck/ Hate my friends, I hate your guts” gets stuck in my head constantly. Despite having these merits, this is overall another disjointed and overly repetitive song. With that, we’re done with the songs I personally would have kept in the drafts. Moving on.
7. Learning to love
Normally I love a piano ballad, but I’d say I just like this one. It’s very pretty, but it’s also pretty basic. I think what throws me off the most is how the vocals don’t really match the softness of the piano. With how clean they sound, you can tell they were recorded in a studio, separate from the piano. I love MICO’s voice, and he’s an incredibly talented vocalist, but I think someone with a softer/more lyrical tone would suit this song better. All that being said, the piano sounds beautiful and the pre-chorus has a cool melody. The song really blossoms in the second half when the strings come in. It just sounds so gorgeous.
6. Your favorite flowers
I love how this song has such a unique concept. I can really appreciate his vocal talent here because he sounds amazing. I just wish they reigned in the full rock sound that comes in at the second chorus just a little bit. It sounds cool and the progression from acoustic to full instrumentals works well. However, it becomes a bit overpowering just before the bridge.
5. shoes
I am such a sucker for an acoustic guitar ballad. This song is not only lyrically compelling, but it has so many fun production elements. I love the chatter that comes in when MICO sings the lyric, “Just want to hear the chatter from a different table.” There are gorgeous strings that come in on the second pre-chorus. Everything besides the vocals and guitar drop out in the chorus when he sings about “everything stopping” which emphasizes his moment of clarity within the narrative. Also, his voice is absolutely stunning, oh my god.
I want to highlight my favorite example of MICO’s pen game in this song: “I let the noise replace what’s in my mind instead of facing things I thought I left behind/I’d rather listen to a stranger live their life and give them mine like trading places.” Straight up bars.
My only complaint for this song is that it is super short and feels cut off at the end.
4. Open up your eyes
I love the cool, vibey intro. It kind of reminds me of Conan Gray’s new album. The pre-chorus is super catchy. This is an overall fun tune that lowkey sounds like a DCOM song (and I mean that as a compliment). It does have a pet peeve of mine where the bridge is just an earlier part of the song slowed down, and it gets a little repetitive, but for the most part I really f*ck with this song.
3. why are you here
Absolute banger.
This song gets stuck in my head all the time. I love pen game with the lyric, “You’re on my skin like a tattoo.” The production is super cool. I love how much is going on while still feeling cohesive. The drums are super epic and those combined with the bendy guitar are super 5SOS-coded, which makes sense since MICO is a 5SOS fan. The music video is also crazy but super fun; I love it. Sidenote—his music videos and visualizers for this project take place in “Smallville” which is kind of like The Truman Show, and it’s actually so cool. This is probably my favorite song off the album, but there are others that I would say are technically better, if that makes sense.
2. like you mean it
Another banger. I’m getting some Green Day vibes with the acoustic guitar intro. And I actually don’t mind that the bridge is just the chorus stripped back. It’s just a great punk-pop song.
1. dreamboy
This was the first single that was released for the album. It had to grow on me because of how different it is to his previous discography, but now I appreciate how creatively experimental it is. The chorus is soooo screamable. His vocal talent really shines and the production and dynamics complement it really well.