Argentine have put together a strong debut record with In Other Fictions, a rousing bit of orchestral indie rock in the vein of a subdued Joan of Arc, an energetic June of 44, or Godspeed with vocals. Though comparisons to these bands are inevitable, Argentine is not derivative, and the similarities seem to reflect an influence, not plagiarism or outright theft.

There is a good, even mix of pop and indie/post-rock on this record, with a touch of The piano, keyboard, and violin work stand out especially, as do the vocals; at first they seem sorely out of place, but by the fourth track the off-key crooning seems more natural than Hansen's soda. Singer Ian Carpenter's voice portrays a comfort in futility by gently stating his words, much like Kinsella's JoA vocals, but with far more palatable popy backing music. The record may not be breakthrough record of the year, but it is a solid first release from a band who could one day release just that.

In Other Fictions is a musical odyssey, a story weaving its way through the darkness and the brightness to end up somewhere in between. There is a hidden strength in Argentine's music, a kind of austere confidence of self, that comes through in their sound. This is a band who know where they are and where they will hopefully go.

-Dave Mandell