Kula Shaker

If someone were to take the time to compile a list of Britpop bands that should never reunite and make a new album, chances are Kula Shaker would be in the top five. Probably higher, actually. Yet they have, with their reason for doing so being that nobody could think of anything better to do. Strong motivation, indeed. While Strange Folk isn’t nearly as bad as the awful Peasants, Pigs & Astronauts, it is as if they just picked up right where they left off. There’s nothing new here; it’s the same mix of overblown guitar, Indian mysticism and chanting. And the faux new age lyrics go from laughable to cringe-worthy, completely undermining any charm the music may have had. This might have sounded fresh on their 1996 debut but the majority of this album is stale. It’s hard to imagine that they are likely to win many new fans with a lot more of the same.