Prince Be, the lead vocalist of PM Dawn, sounds like an estranged member of De La Soul, but that’s okay. He does more than just rap, after all. He also recites poetry and sings. It’s that latter skill in particular, often harmoniously displayed over lush contemporary soul music, that makes his songs more easier on, if not more pleasant to, the ears.

If people have “heart” and a “soul”, and I’m not convinced we do, then this is, on some aesthetic level, hearty soul music. Prince Be, given his allegiance to The Cross, would probably attribute its tranquil vibes to his Christian “Father”. That would, of course, be going too far. But the song dedicated to that aforementioned God is spiritful and enchanting.

You get the sense that a warm Heaven-like atmosphere is the goal not just for After I Die but most of these tracks. Memory Bliss owes its life to a Spandau ballet. But, even if the Presence Of Mirrors chorus seems to invoke the passion of Michael Jackson and the Clear Day drums sound like Milli Vanilli, I think most of this album is refreshingly original.

my rating = 3 of 5

1991