Albums to watch

And The Anonymous Nobody

De La Soul

And The Anonymous Nobody

Ninth album from the influential New York hip hop trio funded by Kickstarter with contributions from David Byrne, Little Dragon, Damon Albarn, Snoop Dogg and Usher

ADM rating[?]

7.2

Label
AOI
UK Release date
26/08/2016
US Release date
26/08/2016
  1. 9.1 |   A.V. Club

    Finally unencumbered by outside voices and legal red tape, this sounds like the kind of record De La Soul has always had in it, and likely the one its members have always wanted to make
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  2. 9.1 |   Pretty Much Amazing

    The first great hip-hop album from the over-40 set — a heartening development
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  3. 8.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    A melting pot of varied styles, with a focus on gripping lyrics and sample-heavy instrumentation while simultaneously blending more contemporary leanings
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  4. 8.0 |   musicOMH

    It’s great to hear De La Soul on such tirelessly positive form
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  5. 8.0 |   Exclaim

    One of the most thrilling, wide-ranging rap releases of the year
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  6. 8.0 |   Spectrum Culture

    Finds De La Soul finally satisfied meeting the only expectations that truly mattered—their own
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  7. 8.0 |   The Irish Times

    Awash with great ideas, wonky grooves and the canny execution you get when folks stay true to themselves
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  8. 8.0 |   Spin

    The strength of and the Anonymous Nobody… remains how it holds together as a complete, cohesive listen
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  9. 8.0 |   The Independent

    Sparkling, multi-faceted comeback album
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  10. 8.0 |   The Skinny

    Exhausting, ridiculous and full of life, De La Soul still do it like no-one else
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  11. 8.0 |   The Music

    A Gorillaz-like smorgasbord of multi-genred guest stars and resultant jam sessions
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  12. 8.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    While they may have had to sacrifice a little of what we love them for, there’s no doubt that this a satisfying, De La Soul-ful comeback from the Long Island Trio
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  13. 8.0 |   Clash

    More than a quarter-century after they first emerged to quite brilliantly blow apart all preconceptions of how rappers should look and sound, De La Soul commendably remain one of hip-hop’s great independently-minded outlier acts
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  14. 8.0 |   Uncut

    Broad in scope and naturally playful, this is a spectacular, fresh as the proverbial, triumph. Print edition only

  15. 8.0 |   Q

    Everything is knitted together by a knack for hypnotic details. Print edition only

  16. 8.0 |   Mojo

    Another stroke of inventive brilliance from ever-humble, non-showboating masters of the long-playing arts. Print edition only

  17. 7.0 |   Slant Magazine

    A captivating listen, albeit far from the confidence and coherence of De La Soul's crucial first act
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  18. 7.0 |   Rolling Stone

    Their greatest strength has always been not caring what hip-hop is supposed to sound like
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  19. 7.0 |   Gig Soup

    Despite its flaws, you have to admire their ambition and willingness to challenge themselves
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  20. 6.7 |   Consequence Of Sound

    While Anonymous Nobody is a brave departure from the sample-heavy triumphs in their past, at times it feels a bit too contrived, too far away from a De La Soul statement
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  21. 6.5 |   Beardfood

    When they stick to smooth bass and that 90s underground flow, it’s beautiful
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  22. 6.4 |   Pitchfork

    The hip-hop legends return for their first album in 12 years and turn a comeback story into more of a claim to their legacy
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  23. 6.0 |   PopMatters

    There are enough highlights to make And the Anonymous Nobody worth revisiting, but as a whole, the album is just barely above average. A valiant effort, De La Soul, but no dice on this one
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  24. 6.0 |   No Ripcord

    It’s a good comeback for De La Soul, and there’s plenty to really enjoy here, but there are too many occasions where tracks loiter for too long
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  25. 6.0 |   NOW

    It's nice to hear De La Soul stretching themselves creatively, and even the less successful detours are interesting additions to an already eclectic catalogue
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  26. 6.0 |   State

    If anything this album manages to once again define their sound and showcase their versatility
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  27. 6.0 |   DIY

    Big name collaborations steal the show, while attempts to reinvent tend to fall flat
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  28. 6.0 |   The Observer

    A sumptuous, meandering return
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  29. 6.0 |   The Guardian

    Lovely as jazz ballad Drawn is, with Little Dragon, you long for them to finally turn up on the mic
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  30. 6.0 |   The Arts Desk

    This album is a sprawling, often frustrating affair, but with a little judicious iTunes pruning, there's the core of something here that reminds us just why this band are so enduring
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  31. 6.0 |   Loud And Quiet

    With cameos a-plenty though, it’s almost inevitably hit and miss
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  32. 4.0 |   FasterLouder

    The album’s collaborative nature is not an issue; the problem lies in the artistic sacrifices which De La Soul make
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