I Am a CountryContinuous Ink Records **

A three-piece whose 2007 debut flew so low under the radar that it was practically invisible, Orphancode aim to make a louder, prouder statement with their second album. Unfortunately, time has not helped to finesse the Dubliners' sound. All too often, I Am a Country's murky indie-rock attempts to emulate the surging, anthemic power of bands such as The National, Interpol and Editors (standout track Desperado does this most convincingly), but flops to a halt with a feeble shudder. Lyrically, these songs aren't the strongest: Anti-Trust resorts to cliched lines about a "head full of cocaine". The biggest problem with the over-similar nine tracks, however, is that there is no spark of excitement to propel them into the listeners' memory, nor element of staying power to keep them there. orphancode.com

Download tracks:Desperado, Little Martyr Me