ALBUM REVIEW: ‘And The Anonymous Nobody...’ by De La Soul

Three years on from its original release, The Sound of The Crowd looks back at De La Soul’s ninth studio album...

Comprising seventeen tracks and falling just shy of the seventy minute mark, De La Soul’s ninth studio album isn’t exactly a ‘quick fix’, and certainly not something to be tackled with a casual ear.

In fact, ‘And The Anonymous Nobody…’ is a sprawling, diverse set of songs, that even within the first few minutes demands its audience be seated and pay attention: “Elders, ancestors, sons and daughters/Lion hearted kings and everything in between/Take a seat, be witness”.

Some of the tracks are well worth this commitment. ‘Pain’ for example is a funky, gospel-infused chunk of ‘D.A.I.S.Y. Age’ hip hop (a term originally coined by the trio themselves) helped along by the presence of Snoop Dog, whilst ‘Here in After’ (featuring Damon Albarn, a regular De La Soul collaborator) showcases a more melancholy, melodic side to the album. ‘CBGBS’ and ‘Snoopies’ (featuring David Byrne) meanwhile are both great examples of what the trio do best, the former a minute-or-so masterclass in sampling, and the latter a rousing plea of self-awareness that makes perfect use of its guest’s recognisable vocal style.

However, the way in which the songs came about- reportedly as the result of ‘multiple improvised jam sessions’- explains a lot. The lack of recognisable structure within the majority of the tracks for one thing, which can be effective once or twice but here only seems to result in a finished product that winds and wanders its way to nothing in particular.

Everything feels a little too long, a little too overdone, pushed a little too far.

It’s an eclectic collection certainly, and if nothing else proves that De La Soul are still able to coax great performances out of a miscellany of artists from all sorts of musical backgrounds.

But a little immediacy- even urgency- here and there wouldn’t go amiss, and would have perhaps left us wanting more as opposed to wishing we could identify this ‘Anonymous Nobody’ and give some of it back.

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