By this point, I would describe Kuru as a household name in the underground. If you haven’t heard about him, you’re missing out. Following his come up over the past 5 years has been nothing but wonderful as a fan. His evolution alone is a testament to long term artistry. He has become so unapologetically unique. A name I can’t wait to bring up in conversation again and again.

kuru hails from NYC. Coming from the covid clique of musicians that have now since blown up across the internet in each of their respective circles, (think: Underscores, Jane Remover, EricDOA, etc.) kuru is honestly no different from them. Though, he has decided to take a much different direction in sound when compared to these more pop-laden peers.

If I had to describe kuru’s newest releases, I would use a single sentence: “A wire-lain runners high, your head’s gone thin; you’re powerline chasing.”

Bounding between manic and dreamlike within seconds, kuru utilizes lush, angelic ambient synths that strangle themselves over heavy handed drums. These things are loud and demanding. A slap across the face; SURPRISE! LOCK THE FUCK IN ALREADY!

If I didn’t know any better, I’d call them a protest against healthy ears. The best you can do is to fight the urge not to turn it up even louder. The bass alone could knock a rib or two loose.  In contrast, the vocals are extremely light and constantly pounding in syllables in stark autotune. They slink across the heavy soundscape with such ease that they create such a cohesive rhythm to chase within their heady counterparts. All of these pieces come together as a pendulum effect. You’re hypnotized, before you’d even realize it… the track has restarted over thirty times before. This is a kind of heaven you can’t help but get lost in.  

This newest release is no exception. “Audio diary” is just under 2 minutes long. Produced by pitchweavr and dias, it’s short and sweet yet drenched in weaves of hypertension. I use that word very deliberately too, he wants you to hear this. He wants you to know he’s not a perfect human being. These flaws make him real.

Audio diary is cut from a lighter cloth when compared to a prior release like “2door” from his last album. The drums are tighter; the palette comes off as airy. Which gives more space for the vocals to cut throughout the track. This is a much-needed addition, especially considering the concept that kuru is going for here.

PROMISE TO GOD I AINT’ EVIL.

kuru has a hallmark of being brutally honest. It’s admirable; almost scary, how vulnerable he is in this song. I can hear you going “Of course he’s vulnerable, the song is called Audio diary… that’s what he’s going for!” but it’s so much deeper than that. He speaks on things like antisocialism, the fear of being perceived, that fear of knowing this won’t last forever.

This diary concept is unique in how it plays to his strengths as a writer. But it doesn’t really feel fresh when compared to his prior discography. Moreso, A.D. is a direct evolution of the song “if I’m being honestt” off his last album. In fact, it’s referenced in the lyrics of this new release.

THINK I SAID IT IN TWO SONGS, IT’S YOUR WORLD, JUST DO WHAT YOU WANT.

If anything, it’s more toned down, less jarring in its’ subject matter. It kind of feels like kuru is pulling some punches. The concept of each song is the same across the two. Each song uses the same tactic of extreme lyrics to really send both the joy and terror inside of self-expression to the listener.

I think you lose a bit of the impact overall because kuru decided to utilize a main metaphor around the new track. This grants the whole idea nuance, and more importantly a backbone… But I personally like the latter track more in terms of the idea it was chasing. I liked how it went out of its’ way to make you uncomfortable. See: “I think about dyin’ like all the time but I’m way too pussy to do it” – “if I’m being honestt” 

I make a point to bring all of this up, because I think part of this newfound nuance is sort of misplaced. It doesn’t need to be there to really get the full message across. If the idea is to be intimate towards the listener, the addition of a diary metaphor does nothing but add some layers for them to pick through.

PROMISE TO GOD I AIN’T EVIL, I’M JUST GOING GHOST.

Generally, he has no direct use of metaphor outside of the title alone. Which sounds terrible to say as a critic. This comes off as a criticism; but in effort of this gained nuance, it stands tall on what it believes in. He’s selling his delivery, with a song like this… He has to. It’s all he can do.  The song sticks to the fact that it’s supposed to be intimate and real. Above all, it is honest and true.

When using a premise like an “Audio diary”, There’s no point in hiding how he feels about others, let alone himself. That’s the whole point of the song. These lyrics should (and generally do) say more than enough. They should be raw and unforgettable.

Despite my mixed feelings, there’s something really beautiful and raw in how he expresses himself toward listeners in this one. Moreso versus the last rendition, it’s jarring and unorthodox in a completely different way.

Because he uses the avenue of a diary, he has the ability to really push the envelope in terms of what he’s able to say. He has the excuse to get away with it. Not only that, but with the song’s short length and style of production that’s pursued, he should be able to get away with being as honest as he wants. That’s the whole goal of this release after all.

But does he get away with it? I think he does.

Once again, he takes these concepts and refines them into a more nuanced piece. The maximalist production literally hides the intimacy of the lyrics behind a drowning, ever-present soundscape. It’s a dichotomy that’s supposed to instantly catch you off guard. I mean, this is literally THE FIRST line in the song.

MY LIFE TOO GOOD, IT’LL TAKE ME A BAR JUST TO MAKE THIS SHIT WORSE.

You can take this even further when you recontextualize his delivery; He’s not even sure of himself. you wouldn’t be able to tell, but he recants statements again and again. As if it’s a defense mechanism, if you say it enough times, it’s obviously true. A specific kind of overwhelming self-justification.

Even if I wish he would’ve taken the ideas presented a little farther when compared to the past renditions, I think Audio diary is a great new direction. It’s not completely fresh, but it’s not without it’s wins either. I think it really sells the fact that we all need to pay more attention to kuru.

In the end, all of these concepts come together to make an addicting execution of a song. From the stark contrast of bass heaving over a narrator walking on eggshells; to the synths divine ambivalence in hiding his autotune drenched words… Audio diary is wonderful. I can’t help but keep replaying it.

I can’t wait to hear what comes out next! 🙂

(P.S Apologies for the long read. If you made it this far, I love you! Thank you for reading my work! I also wanted to thank Halo personally for his major help with this review. ❤ Thank you big man!! I appreciate you! – elysian)