The brainchild of Rob Kuznia (bassist for Santa Barbara staples The Sympathetics ), The Pom Poms’ sound brings to mind the melodic, lo-fi sounds of Iron and Wine and the quirky twee pop of The Boy Least Likely To. Despite its rather rough conception (the album was recorded in a series of garages and dining rooms) and quaint, all-in-the-family backstory (Kuznia’s girlfriend and The Sympathetics band mates all provided backing vocals and instrumentation), the end result is a splendid, whimsical record that could easily replace all those Belle and Sebastian CDs I’ve long outplayed. The alternating vocals and quiet arrangements on “Fool” are as dreamy in orchestration as they are melancholy in delivery. Meanwhile, the quirky “Testing I” and “Testing II” are straightforward, folk-inspired gems swathed in dreamy backup cooing and subtle trumpets. Hopefully, with the proper coaxing, Kuznia will step outside the garage — and in front of an audience — in the near future.

By Aly Comingore, The Santa Barbara Independent