by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Comprised of brothers Prince Be (Attrell Cordes) and DJ Minute Mix (Jarrett Cordes), the early-90s group P.M. Dawn straddled the gap between hip-hop and smooth 70s-style soul, creating an innovative urban R&B that owed as much to pop as it did to rhythm and blues. The brothers recorded their debut single, Ode to a Forgetful Mind, in 1988, but P.M. Dawn didnt release a full-length album until 1991. The record, Of the Heart, of the Soul, of the Cross: The Utopian Experience, was an immediate hit, thanks to the single Set Adrift on Memory Bliss, which sampled Spandau Ballets new wave hit True. Both the album and the single received glowing reviews, as did the 1993 follow-up, The Bliss Album?, which featured the hit singles Id Die Without You and Looking Through Patient Eyes. In 1995, P.M. Dawn returned with Jesus Wept, which received strong reviews but weak sales. Dearest Christian, Im So Very Sorry for Bringing You Here. Love, Dad followed in 1998; by this time, the group had virtually dropped out of sight as a commercial force, even though most corners continued to praise the artistic quality of their work. A greatest-hits compilation, The Best of P.M. Dawn, appeared in the summer of 2000.