Album Review: Kula Shaker – Wormslayer

WORMSLAYER

There’s a quiet confidence running through ‘Wormslayer‘. Three decades into their career, Kula Shaker sound less interested in chasing relevance and more focused on leaning fully into the strange, spiritual and psychedelic corner they helped carve out in the first place.

This isn’t a comeback record or a nostalgia exercise, it’s a band reconnecting with their core instincts and trusting them completely.

From the opening moments, ‘Wormslayer‘ pulls you into a world that feels unmistakably Kula Shaker. Swirling organs, elastic grooves and Crispian Mills’ ever-distinct vocal delivery create an atmosphere that’s ritualistic rather than showy. This is music that takes its time, inviting you in rather than grabbing you by the collar.

Already released single ‘Lucky Number‘ sets the tone perfectly, its hypnotic pulse and shimmering psychedelia acting like an initiation into the album’s wider journey. It’s followed by ‘Good Money‘, one of the record’s most immediate and playful moments, funk-flecked, colourful and sharp-witted, offering social commentary without sacrificing groove or charm. It’s classic Kula Shaker but sharpened and refreshed.

As the album unfolds, tracks like ‘Charge of the Light Brigade‘ and ‘Broke as Folk‘ underline its range. The former carries urgency and narrative weight, while the latter strips things back with folk-leaning warmth and knowing humour. Sitting at the heart of the record, ‘Be Merciful‘ slows the pace with gospel-tinged soul and reflective calm, offering one of ‘Wormslayer’s most affecting moments and acting as a brief moment of reflection before the album stretches out again.

‘Day For Night‘ sends the record off on a dusty, country-tinged detour, somehow becoming one of ‘Wormslayer’s most infectious moments, an undeniable earwormslayer, that burrows in and refuses to leave.

From there, the title track ‘Wormslayer‘ tears the rulebook up completely, a gloriously unhinged seven-and-a-half-minute psychedelic sprawl, absolute batshit crazy! This is nestled between the laid-back charm of ‘Day For Night‘ and album closer ‘Dust Beneath Our Feet‘, which gently brings you back down to earth after the madness.

As a full listen, ‘Wormslayer‘ rewards patience. Psychedelia, folk, classic British rock and flashes of glam bleed together naturally, giving the record a cohesive, lived-in feel. It’s an album made for sinking into rather than skipping through.

What ‘Wormslayer‘ ultimately proves is that Kula Shaker aren’t interested in rewriting their history, they’re deepening it. This is a band fully at ease with who they are, unbothered by trends and still driven by curiosity. For long-time fans, it feels reassuring and for newer listeners, it’s a reminder that Kula Shaker have always existed slightly outside the mainstream conversation and all the better for it.

‘Wormslayer‘ is rich, confident and unapologetically Kula Shaker, a psychedelic record made with belief, patience and purpose, one that grows stronger the longer you sit with it.

Pre-Order here: https://kulashaker.os.fan/