In the past, Lenny Kravitz has been panned for his retro approach to music and fashion. With his last album, aptly titled 5, he broke free of his musical stereotype and opted for a more futuristic approach. It earned him a handful of immensely popular singles, notably, "Fly Away," and the remake of the Guess Who's "American Woman." With the first listen of Lenny, it's apparent that he's distanced himself from his "duplicated classic rock" sound. Unfortunately now he's reproduced his own sound! Hints of the aforementioned tracks are found in his current single, "Dig In." And "Stillness of Heart" could easily be mistaken for "Again" off of the Greatest Hits album. While his lyrics (like his previous work) are the album's weakness, Kravitz makes up with flattering melodies and harmonious chord progressions. He's also credited for playing most of the instruments on the record. The best song here is "You Were In My Heart."
Although Lenny didn't break any new ground, I will say it's one of my favorites this year. Long live Lenny!