Sundara Karma – ‘Better Luck Next Time’

Over the last few years, Reading’s Sundara Karma have been working towards a more progressive sound than most. With their standout debut LP ‘Youth Is Only Ever Fun In Retrospect’ presenting them as a fresh addition to the UK’s indie-rock scene, their follow-up record ‘Ulfilas’ Alphabet’ and EPs ‘Kill Me’ and ‘Oblivion!’ felt like they were beginning to move away from their formative roots in pursuit of something more distinctive. But as they return with their third studio album ‘Better Luck Next Time’, it seems like they are now going back to basics within their direction.

Almost unlike anything they have been working on in recent years, ‘Better Luck Next Time’ is a far more conventional but still engaging indie-rock romp. Keeping the energy and vibrancy as high as possible throughout, their latest offering is a fun and enjoyable delve into their most glossy guise to date, beaming with fresh and toe-tapping textures at every turn.

It may not be the Sundara Karma sound we were expecting, but it still makes for a wildly anthemic listen either way. ‘Better Luck Next Time’ feels like a group willing to throw away the pretence in exchange for simple guitar-rock bangers, and it certainly works well for them.