Orphancode: I am a country

It’s been five since Orphancode released their debut album. Clearly, the follow-up has been a long time coming. You can’t fault the playing, and in the likes of ‘Desperado’ and ‘Such A Long Way Down’ they exhibit a real grit and punch, earworm melodies meeting a band taking inspiration from the best of American alt. metal. In the main, they seem to be aiming for streamlined, radio-friendly indie. It is a bit of a trap: even a band with potential can sound anodyne. ‘Friendly Fire’ is their best fist at catchy fare but, as is often the case here, it’s let down by the lyrics. They leave their finest offering until the death – closer ‘Fragile’ builds and builds, rumbling with melancholy to a memorable crescendo. If they’re looking for the way forward, they should keep heading in that direction.