It’s impossible to write about a Kula Shaker album without first acknowledging that they are a band with a bit of a history. After having phenomenal success with their 1996 debut album, K, they followed it up a couple of years later with the absurdly-named Peasants, Pigs & Astronauts that was every bit as batshit as the title and months of recording on David Gilmour’s Thames houseboat would suggest. I should also confess that it’s one of my favourite records of all time, just so you get a gist where this review is coming from. Anyway, around the time Peasants appeared, and as the 20th century collectively shat itself over the threat of the millennium bug, some misjudged comments in the press led to the band imploding. Since then, the words ‘Kula Shaker’ have almost exclusively been used in the music press as the punchline to a joke.
Fast forward around a decade and the band were back together, albeit without original member and hammond organ wizard Jay Darlington – who was busy touring the globe with Oasis and then their various Oasis-sounding, non-Oasis versions of Oasis. Four records followed, with guitarist and vocalist Crispian Mills, bassist Alonza Bevan, and drummer Paul Winterhart joined by Harry Broadbent on keys, until the original four members got back together in 2023. And here we are now in 2024, with a new Kula Shaker LP named Natural Magick.
Table of Contents
Introduction
In many ways, it’s the kind of record that people say is a ‘return to form’ and I guess the reunion of the lineup that made the first two albums plays nicely into this narrative. Truth is though that it’s just another Kula Shaker album. I don’t mean that in a bad way either. After all, I am and have always been, a huge fan of the band.
Return to Form
Is it going to bring world peace? No. Is it going to be seen as a seminal piece of music from the first quarter of the 21st century that redefined what music could be? Nope. Will Pitchfork commission a 5000-word think piece on it to commemorate its tenth anniversary? Unlikely. Will it sell gazillions of copies? Absolutely not. Is it a really fun listen though? Yes, it’s a riot. Am I glad it exists? Definitely. Should you listen to it? I don’t see why not.
Infectious Choruses
For me, one of the greatest things about Kula Shaker is that they wear their influences on their sleeves. I don’t know about anyone else, but I like to be reminded of George Harrison’s mid-70s stuff. I like to be floored by a huge Richie Blackmore-style riff out of nowhere, or surprised by an impromptu spaghetti western face-off. They are what they are, and Natural Magick feels like a band reunited after 20+ years, having a great time, playing big, dumb pop songs.
Band Reunited
Everywhere you look there’s another infectious chorus to be had, from the joyous bounce of ‘Waves’ to the gorgeous lilting closer, ‘Give Me Tomorrow’. If you’re into your late-60s psychedelia and find yourself obsessing over vintage fuzz boxes, then you might just be drawn in by the sound of tracks like (the rather excellent opener) ‘Gaslighting’ or the baggy groove of the title track.
Conclusion
In short, nobody does the kind of thing Kula Shaker does anywhere near like how they do it. You won’t hear many people say it, but for me Kula Shaker are not a joke. Or if they are, that’s fine, because jokes are alright sometimes aren’t they. Also – and maybe whisper it – but they might just be in on it too.
PS If you like this, go seek out their last record – the mad 1st Congregational Church of Eternal Love and Free Hugs.
Words by Adam G