With its first album, P.M. Dawn turned rap upside down by melding smooth pop tunes with R&B and rap when most folks in urban music were talking about life in the ghetto. P.M. Dawn's fourth album, due in stores Tuesday, is mostly an hour-long apology to a child brought into a terrible world. Gone is the harder-edged rap of the group's last album, "Jesus Wept;" its latest effort is almost entirely silky, listenable R&B.

Tracks like "Art Deco Halos" and "Hale-Bopp Regurgitations" supply wry commentary on society's obsession with grandeur and scandal. "Hale-Bopp" employs a Beach Boys bounce with lyrics that embody America's collective unconscious: "I should have known not to shoot John Lennon/I should have never gotten AOL."

There is deep regret in "Being So Not for You," "Misery In Utero" and "I Hate Myself For You." They'd be painful to listen to if it weren't for the gorgeous instrumentation and vocals. "I had no right bringing you here/Knowing what I know," sings Prince Be over a heavenly gospel harmony.

"Christian" is a pleasant, if heavy, listen. Despite the self-hatred on the album, there is also plenty of humor -- and a touch of hope.

-- Beth Winegarner

This article was originally published in the San Francisco Chronicle.