Record Rack

** Kula Shaker, “Peasants, Pigs and Astronauts,” Columbia. Did the world need a new tribal-love-rock musical a la “Jesus Christ Superstar” or “Godspell”? Head Shaker Crispian Mills must have thought so, because here’s his, more or less, a utopian concoction that’s as admirable and well-crafted as it is laughable. From the opening Webber-Rice-ish millennial scene-setter through qawwali-derived mystical chants to the inevitable, subdued “Hosannah” reprise, it’s a very guilty, occasionally groovy, pleasure. In stores Tuesday.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.