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[b]<span style='color:black'>Dearest Christian, I'm So Very Sorry For Bringing You Here. Love, Dad
The overwrought album title and pensive poses on the cover should be your first clues that the Dawn duo has a lot on its respective minds. Then again, that's nothing new. This is the same group that turned rap and pop upside down with the disarmingly genuine hit ""Set Adrift On Memory Bliss"" in 1991. And though most Americans can't name their subsequent singles, that hasn't stopped these two brothers from Jersey from chasing a transcendent aesthetic.
P.M. Dawn are the rare artists who can sample their hooks from well-known songs -- Spandau Ballet's ""True,"" Prince's ""1999,"" Talking Heads' ""Once In A Lifetime,"" Deep Purple's ""Hush"" -- and actually get away with it. But they deserve even more credit for removing mere lust from contemporary R&B and ego from hip-hop while maintaining the soul of both. Prince Be's breathy, shy vocals sound like pillow talk unless you listen carefully to his thoughtful lyrics. J.C. the Eternal's open, ethereal production lends polish and depth to the mix. This is mature music made by mature musicians, which unfortunately takes away some of the fun.
Though they haven't given up on sampling just yet, an array of session musicians helps flesh out P.M. Dawn's fourth album in their constant, if obsessive, pursuit of bliss. The live element pays off by lending warmth and body to the sometimes clinical smoothness of their previous releases. In keeping with tradition, Dearest Christian... defies exact categorization by offering welcome variations on their gospel-tinged soul. ""Art Deco Halos"" romps into Prince territory with its quirky come-ons and funky guitar licks. The meditative piano jazz of ""Yang: As Private I's"" brings back Prince Be's patented whisper rap. ""Screaming At Me"" gives Clapton's accessible blues a run for the money.
So, by my count, this makes four well-crafted albums in a row for P.M. Dawn. Why aren't they burning up the charts? The answer is simple: P.M. Dawn's recurring shortcoming as pop artists is that they take themselves too seriously. For all its diversity, Dearest Christian... is essentially an open apology to Prince Be's three-year-old son. After a string of self-doubting affirmations like ""Being So Not For You,"" ""I Hate Myself For You,"" and ""Faith In You,"" you just want to grab Be by his beaded dreds and tell him, ""You're a good dad, a good person, and doggone it -- people like you!""
My boys can write and sing a hell of a song, but if I wanted to sit in on this much guilt-venting, I'd join a twelve-step.
-Sam Cannon</span>
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haha! maybe the next pm dawn album needs to be written by saule goode :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
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hey just bring in britney spears to do the songwriting!!!
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no bring in aaron carter!
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yes, it can be defined, so far. only because it is out there and willing. be is coming up with some shit that is gonna throw you. yes, throw you into what's next bout here and now. give the man some room cuz he is about to create a castle.
