Praise the generous blessings of youth -- even with the loss of their raps and the weight of their cross, PM Dawn's hooks are still surefire and their fluffy arrangements still fresh -- and they still meditate to the groove, croon slow burning ballads, and dive into ecstatic pop songs with easy appeal and deep imagination. In fact, their music is so steadfast that both critics and the public have come to take it for granted. If any other black group closed their album with a suite blending Prince, Talking Heads, and Harry Nilsson, it would make headlines. On this overlooked gem, that's just the filler.

-- Franklin Soults