Maybe Lenny Kravitz was just suffering from a momentary lack of creativity when he decided on the title of his sixth album, but it couldn’t be more fitting. On Lenny, Kravitz moves away from his typical Jimi Hendrix-inspired style and aims to create his own new and different sound, mixing electronic rhythms with the classic rock that has made him famous.
Lenny features mostly hard-rock tracks that showcase Kravitz’s guitar playing and introspective lyrics, although this album sees him taking a step toward the more fashionable themes of lost love and police chases rather than God and religion. The album’s first song, “Battlefield of Love,” introduces Lenny’s love fixation with loud guitars and a chorus proclaiming, “All this mass confusion causes chaos in my brain I’m on the battlefield/ The battlefield of love.” This style is mimicked on “Pay To Play,” which features funky guitar and vocals that mix perfectly with the sound of the music. The first single from the album, the upbeat “Dig In,” adheres to the formula of Kravitz’s past hits with its classic rock inspired rhythm and radio-friendly lyrics.
Kravitz does seem to move away from his usual straightforward rock on a few of the album’s cuts. “If I Could Fall In Love,” begins with typical hard-rock guitar riffs but also includes distorted vocals and strong drum beats. The techno-inspired “You Were In My Heart,” exemplifies Kravitz’s departure from his typical sound. The song features the dark lyrics, “Demons sleep with me in bed