“Her personal philosophy of contemplating, relating, and taking intentional steps toward interior freedom come through with gentle honesty in her lyrical and musical compositions.
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“Mandico had the audience in a stupor, mystifying all with her angelic voice and beautiful compositions.”
Fall 2016
"Michelle Mandico is a creative based out of Nashville, though her roots are firmly planted in the mountainous state of Colorado. Blessed with manifold artistic gifts, including painting and ceramics, Mandico released her EP Half Captive in 2015. Her personal philosophy of contemplating, relating, and taking intentional steps toward interior freedom come through with gentle honesty in her lyrical and musical compositions.
Half Captive features six original songs by Mandico. Mellow, thematic, thoughtful, and warmly produced, this EP reveals an irresolute but convicted heart. Mandico’s writing style is tender and unpretentious, giving insights into past relationships without either demonizing or sugar-coating the various angles of thwarted hope: Once you’ve made your mind up, you shut the whole world down/ governing an empty landscape high on sacred ground, she sings on a track titled Give it Up. The anguish of conflict is hinted at more than once throughout the EP. Lines like “a field of rhythm make our fights sound better than they should,” act as an acknowledgement of our human tendency to enshroud ourselves in the most salient aspects of any given situation in an effort to self-preserve, and in the process frustrate the potential for genuine intimacy and/or healing." For more https://lovegoodmusic.com/2016/10/13/michelle-mandico/
-Alanna Boudreau from Love Good Music
Source: https://lovegoodculture.com/2016/10/13/michelle-mandico/
April 2014
"In typical Colorado fashion, Michelle Mandico plays Indie music with a Folk influence, but where bands like The Lumineers or Paper Bird head downward into melancholy and heartache, Mandico instead goes up, injecting a relentless jolt of energy into a usually downtempo musical style.
The album is tantalizingly intricate from start to finish contrasting light, driving pop with complex melody and heavy imagery and I wish more artists had the courage to sing lyrics about the end of the world over major chord progressions and 4/4 pop backbeats. "Heart Attacked" (my favorite track) does this with a major hook that suddenly resolves to minor for a single note. Michelle's voice has a clarity reminiscent of Regina Spektor and a tendency to add bluegrass decoration to her melodies.
When combined with a crystal clear "no bullshit" recording style, her voice gives the album a refreshing sense of purity while the lyrics and tones hint at something brooding just beneath the surface. Michelle Mandico's driving Indie-Pop album is both brazenly original and intricately built, and her new take on the genre will have even the dourest of folk purists struggling not to bob their heads.”
-Nate Leichtman from The CO Jam Collective
Source: http://www.cojamonline.net/#!michelle-mandico-dimensions-of-my-heart/cu4a
APRIL 2014
“Red and white twinkle lights adorned the upstairs concert hall of the Mercury Cafe at 2199 California St., a space entirely befitting of its Saturday night entertainment. Red roses and gentle candlelight set the mood for DU student Michelle Mandico’s album release party, while over 100 of the artist’s friends and family waited expectantly.
The album, entitled “Dimensions of my Heart” is a tender and lilting assortment of nostalgic love songs, poignant indie-pop ballads and humorous ditties. The songs were all composed by Mandico, a songwriter, ceramicist and aspiring teacher whose kind demeanor and abundant curls are her trademark." ...For full article, see link below.
-Camilla Sterne from the DU Clarion
Source: http://duclarion.com/dus-michelle-mandico-celebrates-album-release/
February 2014
"The next victim for your hungry ears is the one and only, Michelle Mandico. She’s the real reason I was at The Marquis, where and when I was introduced to the amazing, Vetta Star. Friends of friends knew Michelle and by happenchance I found myself being at The Marquis watching her open for Vetta Star. Her style is harmonious, elegant, and heartwarming. Her voice is amazing, and beyond that talent, she plays the keyboard like she invented the instrument. She was accompanied by a cellist and flutist, along with her sisters for additional harmony. Mandico had the audience in a stupor, mystifying all with her angelic voice and beautiful compositions. Her newest album entitled, Dimensions of My Heart, will be available April 12, 2014, for your listening pleasure. I’d highly recommend this album to anyone who likes music, period."
-Andrew Metzger from MTNWeekly