Cousin Kula – ‘Vitamin D’ album review: 2024, the new summer of love
THE SKINNY: A lot of the time, when we listen to music, we pick out individual elements that appeal to us. For instance, we might like the sound of a drum fill, a vocal performance or a guitar solo. Then, there is some music where it’s less about individual elements and more about a sound’s overall cohesion. Cousin Kula and their new album Vitamin D falls into the latter category. Not that the individual parts aren’t good, but what makes the album stand out is their ability to merge together. The band managed to create a sound so cohesive and beautiful that it’s hard to imagine it could exist as anything other than the form in which we hear it.
The only criticism about Vitamin D is that it’s been released at the wrong time of year. To have music available, which is so summery in its execution and feels good throughout every second of it, almost seems cruel when the skies are still grey, and there is still drizzle in the air. The only thing missing from this album is the right environment to listen to it in, and once that’s here, there is no escaping the fact this record will dominate heat-filled airwaves.
Cousin Kula has made an album that is inescapably happy. As soon as the first few seconds of ‘Clothes Off’ play, it’s impossible not to go any further without a smile on your face and a spring in your step. That theme carries on throughout the whole album; however, even though it doesn’t divert from the same vibe, that isn’t to say it gets boring or repetitive. The band have enough talent on display and versatility in solid structure to keep things fresh and exciting.
If you wanted, you could dissect the lyrics in the record or pick it apart to highlight what exactly it is about it that sounds good, but that’s not what you should do. Instead, you should let it take you on the journey it wants to take you on, a disco and funk-infused ferry into outer space and back again, melancholic in its style but otherworldly in its execution. What are you waiting for? Get on board.
For fans of: Never having to worry about anything ever again, ever. And cocktails.
A concluding comment from Bootsy Collins: “Ooooh yeah, baby.”
Vitamin D track by track
Release date: March 15th | Producer: The band themselves, mixed by Doug Cave | Label: Rhythm Section Intl.
‘Clothes Off’: A song that kicks off with big hitting chords and trails off into a funk-infused and trickling groove that should be added to everyone’s “after dark” playlist. The fluttering vocals of “It’s too hot, can you feel it, I think I might just need to take my clothes off” seem very fitting. [4/5]
‘Poisoned’: Synth is pitched down and brought back up, while over the top are wind chimes and high hats. Eventually, the bass comes in; it feels like you are one with the air around you, lifting you to paradise. The punchiness of the bass, in contrast with the tranquillity of the synth and vocals, is a joy to listen to. [4/5]
‘Staying With You’: If falling in love could be squashed down and compressed into a zip file, this is what it would sound like. The wah-effect on the guitar is sex on strings, while the funk elements of the rest of the track make it the perfect song to get lost in. [5/5]
‘Hanging on Your Lips’: A track that is so perfectly harmonious and cohesive that it is hard to imagine a world outside of its three-minute run time. Everything makes sense here; nothing can hurt me, and everything is and always has been fine. [5/5]
‘Softest Touch’: It’s refreshing to see a band that knows they have a good groove growing and is happy to just stay in it for a while. The bassline and drums are enough to keep the song going, so they only venture away from them occasionally, letting the listener enjoy the vibe for as long as possible. [4/5]
‘The Sun’: The intro to this track sounds like a sci-fi epic where all the stars are Bootsy Collins’s guitar, and the ring of Saturn is a cymbal. The low lyrics add to that feel, as it sounds like rather than trying to conquer the galaxy, Darth Vader took a side gig singing disco tunes. [5/5]
‘Disney G Funk’: Persistent snare hits welcome in this heavier, more menacing number. The lyrics are hard to make out, but they sound like the voiceover for a bad trip in the verse before elevating into a sweet-sounding chorus afterwards. [4/5]
‘Summer’s Comin Bébé’: A funky and soulful number takes us into the last few songs of this gorgeous album. While the vibe throughout the record hasn’t changed much, there is enough versatility and talent to stop it from sounding too repetitive. This piece plays heavily into the theme of sun and summer touched upon throughout the LP, and the only thing missing from it when played is a cold drink and some actual sun. [5/5]
‘Good Feelin’: There is no doubt that this is a feel-good album, but in case you still weren’t sure, here is a song that presses good times on wax and drops the needle. A slower number but undeniable in its friendly presence. [4.5/5]
‘Time > Money’: A great song to end the record; more big chord hits kick things off before we drift into a dreamlike epilogue. It doesn’t act as an immovable full stop, though, as this feels like a record that you could let run over and over again. [4/5]
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