Kuroma is the brainchild of Hank Sullivant, a man you may have come to know as former bassist for the Whigs and recent touring guitarist for MGMT. Having spent much of his musical career as a piece of these two indie music giants, Kuroma’s debut release Paris is the first true fruit of Sullivant’s labor. Although it’s undeniable that he brings some of MGMT’s poppy psychedelic vibe to his latest project, Sullivant gives Kuroma a style of its own by infusing other musical influences into his work. One listen through Paris you’ll get a taste of some pop, folk, and good ol’ rock’n'roll.
“Alexander Martin” is a shining example of this; you can’t listen to the vocals this song and say it doesn’t sound like a more weathered version of MGMT’s Andrew VanWyngarden. You also can’t deny that this track’s folksy feel would have fit in perfectly at Woodstock. The highlight of the album is probably “Searching For A Sheep.” This song goes everywhere, jumping from a lo-fi garage rock intro to an innocent piano interlude and closing itself out with a powerful rock breakdown that would be music to any Zep fan’s ears. In the end, this variety is a good thing, making Paris a fun, trippy homage to the classics.
