KULA SHAKER
1ST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF ETERNAL LOVE AND FREE HUGS
STRANGEFOLK
★★★
A concept double album featuring five hammy interludes explaining its story set in a village church, with that album title and the fact many of its songs were written on ukulele while Crispian Mills was teaching music to his young sons, everything about Kula Shaker’s fourth album since reuniting in 2004 screams “Run away!” Sure enough, a few songs are either sub-Kinks whimsy or knock-off George Harrison hippy hogwash but around two-thirds of the 15 full tracks see Kula Shaker regain the conviction in the power of rock’n’roll that made them so huge during Britpop.