Kula Shaker

First, the ancient sound of London circa late '66 and '67: The Beatles' Revolver, pirate
radio, the Small Faces' "Tin Soldier," Pink Floyd's "See Emily Play," the hum of a nation's
youth wired on Hindu incantation and the agitated buzzing of Pete Townshend's guitar
amplifiers. Post-Oasis U.K. sensations Kula Shaker press all the right vintage-Brit-pop buttons
on their ripping debut album, a fearlessly derivative retrospectacle of sound and... More >

What Happy Mondays did for substance abuse these fools vow to accomplish for spirit abuse. Drunk on Krishna, they take an anonymously commonplace chorus-guitar melange and stir in some sitar/tabla/tamboura and banalities I hope aren't translated from the Hindi. Bet it wouldn't occur to Cornershop to inform Billboard that Indians are "content" because they have "faith." Kaleidoscope either. (Grade: C)