Jesus Wept

Maybe it says something about rap's limitations that hip-hop's most creative acts move away from the form in order to expand artistically. While the Beastie Boys, head increasingly back toward hard rock, P.M. Dawn continues its course into the outer space of sonic gloss. Perhaps Jesus Wept, the duo's third album, relies on a celestial combination of airy R&B and acoustic hippie pop to float the Cordes brothers (Prince Be and J.C. the Eternal) into a higher level of consciousness than booming beats and rhythmic rhymes could take them. Or more likely, P.M. Dawn's musical evolution simply indicates these Jersey City homeboys are individuals unwilling to be limited or formatted.

Jesus Wept is, in fact, not all that different from the heady potion of English psychedelic synth pop, east coast new jack sway, and new age metaphysics the group brewed on 1993's The Bliss Album...?, only it's much more that way. Prince Be's existential voyage through his religious/spiritual identity crisis is surprisingly endearing, and songs like "The 9:45 Wake-Up Dream" and "Apathy...Superstar!?" are every bit as inventive as their titles suggest. And though the duo's typically heavy-handed production can make the mix sound more like marshmallow at times, the lush string/piano/acoustic guitar orchestrations ("Sonchyenne"), smooth dance beats ("My Own Personal Gravity"), and well-placed samples ("Downtown Venus") make Jesus Wept another exquisite slice of P.M. Dawn's gourmet auditory pastries. --Roni Sarig