Even in their early days, England's
Kula Shaker were something of a throwback, a 1990s alt-rock band who embraced the fuzz-tone psychedelia and Eastern mysticism of '60s groups like
Traffic,
Small Faces, and
Deep Purple as much as they did the Brit-pop swagger of
Oasis. It's an incense and Adidas vibe they continue to explore on their seventh album and first to feature their original lineup with keyboardist
Jay Darlington since the late '90s. The record follows 2022's
First Congregational Church of Eternal Love and Free Hugs, and while somewhat less conceptual in tone, it once again bridges their classic work with the mature style they've embraced since returning to regular activity in the 2010s. There's a loose, shoot-from-the-hip quality to
Natural Magick with songs like the raging opener "Gaslighting" and the slinky, minor-key title track showcasing the band's penchant for bluesy riffs and funky dance-rock grooves. They also touch upon their varied influences throughout the album on songs like the rambling,
Simon & Garfunkel-esque "Something Dangerous" and
the Kinks-meets-
George Harrison-sounding pop-rocker "Indian Record Player." Particularly redolent of the '60s-meets-'90s aesthetic is "Waves," a buoyant anthem marked by wah-wah guitar and ringing organ accents in which lead singer
Crispian Mills paints a picture of an international rock party where "all the ghosts of London town will all be driven away/And the girls of Mexico are gonna make some waves." It's an uplifting sentiment that, as with much of
Natural Magick, evokes an earlier, pre-Brexit brand of "Cool Britannia," one that
Kula Shaker embrace wholeheartedly. ~ Matt Collar