KULA SHAKER - Wormslayer

Here we are again, with ever more regular cadence, discussing the ability of Crispian Mills and co. to release flawless albums, packed with songs that are at the very least enjoyable, and often much more than just interesting. It's an instinct for self-preservation that, on closer inspection, goes hand in hand with the "senior" trajectory (forgive the term) of bands that came up in the same scene – Blur, Charlatans, Suede… – that britpop so often derided for the lightness of its tone and content but which, in hindsight, produced a generation of musicians able to withstand the passing of time with pride and apparent imperturbability.

"Wormslayer", released a full thirty years after the explosive debut "K", is yet another foray by the English combo into that nowhere place where britpop, psychedelic rock, folk and blues peacefully coexist, blissfully unconcerned with fashions, catchphrases and other worldly trifles. If we really wanted to find some element of novelty, well, perhaps – and it's no small thing, actually – there's less of the East here than usual, less India, at least on the surface. In practice, it's the exact opposite of "1^st Congregational Church…", released three and a half years ago, to which it's nonetheless linked through the inspiration guiding it.

There's a lot of psychedelia here, and not just between the lines but front and center: it's not easy to find anything quite like "The Winged Boy" elsewhere in Kula Shaker's now vast discography, a track that's bold in its own way, planting itself in the acid-drenched territory of the Seventies. If folk is rather a minority presence this time in numerical terms (the excellent "Little Darling", the incipit of "Shaunie", but also "Day For Night" and the reinterpretation of "Be Merciful"), what's striking – though only up to a point – is the quantity and quality of the singles released. We go from the dusty blues of "Lucky Number" to the loping midtempo of "Good Money", a trademark that Kula Shaker seem able to keep reproducing endlessly.

Much the same can be said of "Charge Of The Light Brigade", which speeds up the metronome and once again flirts with folk-rock. And while the title track tries to echo the spirit (and the deities) of "K", not without unleashing some decent electric wallops, a chapter all of its own is deserved by "Broke As Folk", a track that doesn't shy away from comparison with the band's repertoire from three decades ago: a triumph of Doors-esque organ and bass runs that flow into grandiose choruses. For anyone susceptible to this kind of thing, it's the stuff of goosebumps. Seriously.

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02/02/2026