(Photo Credit: Michael La Torre)
MISSIO recently dropped their massive LP I Am Cinco a collection of EP's they've been releasing over the last year or so. Matthew and David were kind enough to send me a copy of the deluxe vinyl to review for you here on Collector's Corner! If you want it, you can purchase it off their website here. Above you'll see the front and back cover, along with the sides of the vinyl, where MISSIO have a special thanks to the MISSIO Mafia and also the titles of the records in order. The photography used on these pieces is great, highlighting the Austin, TX duo in a number of poses from the surreal to the more typical press shot.
(Photo Credit: Michael La Torre)
For I Am Sad and I Am High, MISSIO and team opted for a plain white vinyl which I'm always a fan of. However, I was really surprised they didn't opt to use the vinyl for I Am Angry and I Am Awesome for this one (more on that later). I really enjoy the incorporation of stark black and white and soft colors where they are selectively inserted. It's extremely on-brand for MISSIO, a group that typically opts for more black and white in their merch. I also have to say here that I really enjoyed the spray paint faces theme they used for the release of each of these EP's playing with the eyeballs (for marijuana plants for instance on I Am High) to get across the emotion they're driving at.
(Photo Credit: Michael La Torre)
So here is the vinyl I thought would be for I Am High just based on first appearance. The cloudiness of the brown/gold tinged vinyl has an ethereal effect that appears almost like smoke. However, I don't mind this choice either, as when discussing the EP's with Matthew and David, I Am High is not necessarily just the high off marijuana or something to that affect. It can be the high you get from what makes you, you. The pairing here is I Am Awesome and I Am Angry. I think these two go well together as you see more guitar influenced tracks on I Am Awesome and that definitely continues into the more heavier rock-based I Am Angry as I wrote in my review of the album earlier last week.
(Photo Credit: Michael La Torre)
I Am Cinco rounds out with I Am Crazy and Skeletons IV. It's a fitting end to the collection where Matthew and David take you through an emotional journey that if you allow yourself to take part in, can be quite introspective. I'm not going to lie, this LP is massive. And it can be a lot to digest in one go, but I think that's how it's best enjoyed. You can't have one part without the other. After having these EP's released as their own separate entities, it's great to have them as one unified force.
Verdict: Is I Am Cinco worth the price of admission? Absolutely. It represents a timely exploration of human emotion when such things are discouraged in larger society. If you really sit down and listen to what MISSIO is saying, I think you come away better for it. Also not to mention, there's a lot of bang for your buck music-wise. Definitely if you are thinking about getting this one, I'd take the dive head first, it's the only way to do it.
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