Lenny Kravitz is one of the few artists able to offer a classic rock persona that doesn't bend retro. Kravitz's gritty, heartfelt lyrics puncture the senses amid a balance of driving chords and gentle guitar
splashes.
The musician wrote, produced and arranged the music for this self-titled sixth album, sharing plenty of songs about the dynamics of love and the perennial desire we all have for it to last and possess meaning. Also the project is threaded with a determination to move forward and forget the past, while embracing a positive outlook.
Feeling at times like the later Beatles and slices of ELO, the album is of top-notch quality, from the surreal opening of the fury-riffing 'Battlefield of Love,' to the dreamy and mellow 'Let's Get High' (on love as opposed to drugs, the lyrics imply). 'Stillness of Heart' is representative of several cuts with its vocals that reflect hope but acknowledge the realities that abound: "I've got more than I can eat / A life that can't be beat / Yet still I feel this heat / I'm feeling incomplete / What am I buying / My soul is crying."
This sense of spiritual longing is also found on 'You Were in My Heart,' which paradoxically focuses on the reality of God's presence while resigning to a sense of hopelessness: "But your blood's running through my veins / And I am standing tall / Even through you took my place / I'm somehow bound to fall." Kravitz also bemoans "feeling the demons' fire" while in bed, and a perception of darkness all around him that at times makes him blind. The lyrics recognize Kravitz's weaknesses and temptations, yet cling to the promise of redemption
The most adrenaline-pumping cut is the supercharged 'Bank Robber Man,' which recounts Kravitz's well-publicized run-in with the Miami police a while back. It's a chaotic, almost punk-like tone, pulsating with
insurrection amid howling police sirens. 'Dig In' also is rapid-fire and percussion-laden, an inspiring cut in which Kravitz counsels, "When the mountain is high / Just look up to the sky / Ask God to teach you / Then persevere with a smile."
Amid the pleasant and distressing realities of life and on a journey to discover their equilibrium, Kravitz offers reflections from the gut.
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