W/e 28/11/25 - De La Soul, The Hellp, Pot Pot, Lona Zajac, Soul II Soul

A good week overall, one of our highest scoring of the year.

Congrats to De La Soul who sneak into the top 10 for the year, edging out Public Enemy.

Decent showing by The Hellp as well - they are in the top 20 and have our TOTW.

We had a 2 way tie for the 😊 between Adam and Simon, but (new approach alert) thought I’d use the classic as the tiebreaker, so Adam takes it and has his first ever 😊 👏. And unusually there was a three way tie for the ☹️ between Jim Guy and Annette , so by the same logic it goes to Annette.

Soul II Soul were a nice trip down memory lane for most and land next to Kings of Leon and Young MC on the classics.

Sam

The Hellp : started off strongly , wandered about a bit and finished with a bang so 7.7

Pot-pot : reminded me of Jackie O Motherfucker , some good bits but quite odd in places : 6.5

Iona Zajac : odd mix of boring and emotional and very rarely kicking ass . 6.6

De La Soul : refreshing to hear a hip hop album that is life affirming and positive without bitches and money . 7

TOTW ; Here I am by the Hellp

Soul to Soul : sorry Erol but club classics this ain’t . Aside from the hits it’s a bit disjointed and even a bit annoying. 6

Andy

De La Soul - It should come as no surprise that I thought this was marvellous. Textbook De La style with a murderers row of features. Along with Clipse another old skool album likely making my end of year list. Lovely stuff 9

The Hellp - Enjoyed this one a lot. Cool synth sounds that make me think they’re auditioning to score a Michael Mann movie, a career plan I heartily approve of 7

pôt-pot - Good stuff, very Spiritualized/ JAMC with some Velvets thrown in too 6.5

Iona Zajac - Thought this went on a bit, the highs were pretty decent but it ended up just blurring into one pile of wispy folkiness 6

TotW - Will Be by De La Soul

Soul II Soul - I love the big tracks but the album drags a bit in the middle, there’s absolutely no need for a track that is just jazz flute solo, but Back To Life is such a banger it’s hard to get too miffed 7

Phil

De La Soul 6.8

It seems mean to be critical of this album, since it’s such a heartfelt tribute to de la Soul’s departed bandmate, Trugoy. Plus it’s bitch-free, gangster-unfriendly and full of their trademark gentle rapping. But after over an hour, it does start to drag. Believe (in him) is great though.

The Hellp 6.5

Listenable and catchy but fairly unremarkable to my ears.

Pôt-pot 7.5

Another band that has immersed itself in all the psychedelic good stuff. They sound like what Hawkwind only think they sound like. Heads-down no-nonsense droney music. I can almost smell the incense and patchouli oil.

Iona Zajac 7.8

Anyone remember Marissa Nadler? Actually, she’s still going but she’s never really become trendy. Well, Iona Zajac reminds me of her. I enjoyed this album a lot. She’s a classic folk-influenced singer songwriter and this record could have been released any time in the last fifty years (this is not a criticism!) I’m not surprised to read that she’s been singing on the stage with the Pogues, no less. One to watch, I fancy.

TOTW – Iona Zajac – End of the year

Classic

Soul II Soul 8

One of the things Soul II Soul unwittingly did was set the template for SAULT. What this album does – as they do - is synthesise a couple of decades-worth of soul and soul-influenced grooves (flute instrumental? why not?) and make new songs that sound like you already know them. That’s now SAULT’s calling card. Club classics may dip in places but so do most of SAULT’s albums. Jazzie B, you da man!

Jim

De La Soul 7.5

Nice and smooth all the way through without hitting too many highs.

The Hellp 7.5

Plenty of cracking electopop in here, some MGMT and SMD vibes about it, especially on the ace Here I Am and Pray To Evil.

Pot-pot 7

Enjoyed much of this, a 70s feel with some darker almost Joy Division edges. 22 halo was my fav.

Iona Zajac 5.5

Not really my thang, but I liked her voice and it kept me interested, just.

TOTW: The Hellp - Here I Am

Soul II Soul 8

Listened to this loads in my yoof. Back to Life, Keep on Movin' and Jazzie's Groove still sound A Maze Ing.

Hoever the pipes on African Dance are dreadful, and just when you think it's come to an end, phew, they repeat just with added vocals on Dance

Guy

De La Soul – I love De La Soul. A cracking hip hop album with some classic DLS samples, lovely rhymes and lots of variety. - 8

The Hellp – Some decent synth tunes backed up with a bit of guitar bite too. Enjoyed this – 7.5

pôt-pot – Psychedelic 60s inspired tunes. Some worked better than others but it did overall it did seem a bit like a tribute act. - 7

Iona Zajac – Hmm. She’s got a nice voice but this was very insipid and definitely not my cup of tea. Not one I’d be returning to but that’s down to taste rather than quality. - 5

TOTW – Will Be – De La Soul

Soul II Soul – The hits are outstanding and it hugely nostalgic. A cracking album overall – scored own a tad for the exceptional odd track – 8.7

Paul

De La Soul (8)

Nice chilled out hip hop, the total opposite of ice cube a while back and more enjoyable for it.

The Hellp (7)

Good quality Synth Pop, enjoyed the male/female vocal combo. Didn’t really like the dodgy rap that snuck onto one of the tracks. But overall not bad.

Pop pot (7.5)

Decent psych rock but did drag on a little bit in parts for me.

Iona Zajac (6.5)

Moody and atmospheric tunes with a bit of bass. Strange one, liked it first listen but less so 2nd time around.

TOTW - Del La Soul. The Package

Soul II Soul (7.5)

Nice listen, a couple of fillers in the middle but finished strongly with a couple of bangers in Back to life and Jazzie’s Grove.

Simon

De La Soul: one of those bands that seem to find it hard to make a bad record - this has the same sense of joy and lightness of touch you usually get with De La Soul, didn't drag at all despite the 70 min runtime. 8

The Hellp: slightly shambolic at times but really grew on me on second listen - crunchy synths and big beats, what's not to like. 7.5

pot-pot: the kind of hypnotic, groove-driven psychedelia that has always tickled my fancy - plenty to get stuck into here, WRSW in particular is a monster. 7.5

Iona Zajac: as Phil says sings with the Pogues by all accounts, so the folky elements shouldn't be a surprise - less keen on those but Blow, Bang, Anton and Murder Mystery provide some variety and are all impressive in their own way. 7

Soul II Soul: the two big hits from the album have stood up well but thought the rest was very average - didn't get on with Jazzie's vocal style and the less said about the flute solo the better. 6

TotW: pot-pot - WRSW

Mark

De La Soul - it's a lot to take in over 20 tracks and there's a lot of guest features to cram in, but there's loads of good stuff on here, funky and feel good but with poignant nods to their old band mate - 8

The Hellp - liked it, very NYC indie sleaze, would watch them in a festival tent - 7

Pot-Pot - nice bit of metronomic pulsating hypno-rock, like a modern day Hawkwind with a touch of the Velvets - 7

Iona Zajac - beautiful and haunting, I really liked this, reminded me a bit of the Sharon Van Etten album that I loved earlier in the year - 7.5

TOTW - Murder Mystery by Iona Zajac

Annette

De La Soul: 7

The Hellp: 7.5

Pot Pot: 7.5

Lona Zajac: 5.5

TOTW: Here I am by The Hellp

Classic: Soul II Soul 7.5

Justin

De La Soul - I don't like the skits but otherwise a great album. Closest to 3ft High & Rising style wise they have been since the debut. 7.9

The Hellp - Very MGMTesque. Good rock bleep mixture. 7.5

Pot Pot - Interesting sonic album. Dark in places 7

Lona Zajac - Not for day to day listening but worth a listen as is different. Maybe a tad too wacky 6

TOTW The Hellp - Country Road

Soul II Soul - Not listened to this for a long time. Was a post clubbing album for a period. Yes in retrospect the flute song is a bit much but overall still a classic 8

Adam

De La Soul - proper old skool hip hop in the modern era. There’s a ton of fun in this album 7

The Hellp - very cool synthy rocking. 8

Pot pot - loved the pyschadelic rock - even (and especially) the long noodly bits, odd! 8

Iona Zajac - thought we were on for a Zola Jesus (recommend) album. The slightly darker / anthemic bits better than where it touches country/tweeness. 7

TOTW Pot Pot — WRSW

Classic

Contains one of the most recognisable dancefloor tracks. Iconic. Happy hip hop, happy score 8

Erol

De La Soul - this was fab. Some perfect rhymes and wonderful sampling. Only criticism is that it was a bit long. 8

The Hellp - MGMT synth vibes all over. Another cracker. 8

Pot pot - there’s nowt wrong with an extended slice of guitar noodling against a dreamy psych backdrop. 7.5

Iona Zajac - a bit too indulgent folksy/ twee for my taste. 6

TOTW - WRSW, pot pot.

Soul II Soul - this so takes me back to my youth. I wore out my vinyl copy of this album. Back to Life is still an all time cracker. 8.5

Matt

De la Soul - 7.7

The Hellp - 7.8

Pot pot - 6.8

Iona Zajac - 6

TOTW - The Hellp, Here I Am