Kula Shaker: K 2.0 review – Britpop mystics back in the psychedelic saddle

In 1996, Kula Shaker were one of the biggest bands in Britain, as their speedy-selling debut album, K, stormed to No 1 with a blend of 60s rocking, Britpop, Arthurian legend and Indian mysticism. Two decades on, their fifth album doesn’t journey too far from the sound of old hits such as Tattva and Govinda: it starts with a flourish of sitars, and finds frontman Crispian Mills roaring “We are one, the infinite sun”. The blond-locked frontman hasn’t lost his gift for tunes, and Holy Flame is reminiscent of Blur’s Coffee and TV. Death of Democracy is a cheery political knees-up, and the quasi-mystical Hari Bol (The Sweetest Sweet) veers towards self-parody. However, perhaps chastened by a fall from grace and spells in the wilderness, Mills also displays a reflective side, addressing his “darkest days” and “demons” with touching candour. Their big moment in the sun has long gone, but there’s enough here for an Indian summer.