P.M. Dawn - The Best of (2000)

Compiled from P.M. Dawn's four albums and the Senseless soundtrack The Best of P.M. Dawn not only plays like an audio time capsule of slick, tuneful, '90s urban pop, it's a remarkably coherent listening experience. The New Jersey duo's sweet combination of classic silky soul, trip-hop, psychedelia, and pop was one of the most groundbreaking sounds of the decade and influenced countless bands tremendously. All the usual suspects are present and accounted for, beginning with the band's first number one single "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss," an amazingly mature debut tune, and moves forward with two tracks from 1998's relatively obscure I'm So Very Sorry for Bringing You Here, Love Dad. A remix of "A Watcher's Point of View" and the rare 7" versions of "Reality Used to Be a Friend of Mine" as well as "The Ways of the Wind" are also here. The latter track's single and album versions are included; though they're significantly different, it's a bit redundant. The edgy hip-hop of "A Watcher's...," "Reality...," and "Gotta' Be... Movin' on Up," a track from the Senseless soundtrack, break up P.M. Dawn's otherwise lush, glossy sound on this hourlong, 14-track disc. Any band that samples Deep Purple, George Michael, and Joni Mitchell has an astonishingly diverse set of influences, but what made P.M. Dawn special is how they incorporated them into music that was uniquely their own. Despite non-existent liner notes and a few omissions, what is here flows smoothly, especially considering the songs were recorded from 1991 to 1999. Like most timeless music, The Best of P.M. Dawn's songs remain fresh, innovative, and enduring.~The Best of P.M. Dawn Review by Hal Horowitz