Black & White America

When a year is nothing

Sure, we will forgive Lenny Kravitz his unexplainable one-year delay in releasing the ninth album called Black And White America. In fact, there is so much we might forgive him for as long as he remains same young, crazy and rocking and rolling. Probably, these are the qualities that sometimes prevent artists from going to bed a bit earlier, drinking a bit less, and releasing new albums a bit more timely, but without them we could not have an artist like Lenny Kravitz at all. A four-Grammy winner, super-mega-multi-instrumentalist, and simply a nicest guy around, he prepared an album with everything we love his music for. This is that sort of rock and roll where there might be a shortage of booming bass or aggressive drums, but where you sure have the rock and roll frenzy. The cover features a boy with a sparrow track on the forehead, and you can easily make out the future star – Lenny is desperately affected to placing his own images on covers of his albums. Underneath we have as many as sixteen tracks for more than one hour. Master of many crafts, guitars and drums, Lenny recorded the entire CD almost solely – he was only backed up by Craig Ross, a well-known instrumentalist. OK, one year late, here finally comes Black And White America.

The music that gets you with its first chords

Black And White America kicks off joyfully and smoothly as if this is not a new album, but a fragment of an older one. The listener penetrates into the record effortlessly because the first tracks, the title song about race-related troubles, and brave guitar Come And Get It, sound merry, hang-loose and catching. Lenny does not divide his catalogue into intros, warm-uppers, hit and the rest. Each is good here in its own way. The record is as colorful as the US population, featuring a great many dance rhythms. Sure, the basis here is still rock and roll with funk beats. Lenny threw the whole ball all by himself, only inviting for a couple of songs Jay-Z, and Drake, who in no way influence the climate here. Sometimes, the artist gets too much focused on his own personality and offers too much of himself. Songs like In The Black, or Superlove abuse tricky lyrics based on the topics for adults. However, you can pay no mind to the words. After all, today ninety percent lyrics in songs are just space fillers. The highlight, rather the song that you are likely to single out of the sixteen quickly, is Liquid Jesus where Lenny croons imitating falsetto. Another big time is the comic track called Stand with hand-clapping and foot-stamping on the background.

The ninth coming of the super talent

Black And White America was scheduled for release in summer, which is for the right reason. The music offered on the record sounds especially good outside, preferably on the beach, or in the backyard while the barbecue is getting done. You should not take too seriously what Lenny Kravitz sings about otherwise, you may get less pleasure out of the music. The singer’s old fans are sure to get their share of pleasure. The new CD does its best to bring back associations with the old stuff, and it does succeed. That kind of music, rock and roll with somewhat anarchic guitars and disco impulses, helped Lenny start out and get to his fame. The album leaves a strong impression that such CDs, and you have to know that Black And White America is undoubtedly a high quality release to prove the artist’s level, are not a big deal for Kravitz. He needs no big events in life, nor label’s guidance and support, nor a group of hard working musicians. Perhaps, it only seems that way to us. A talent is a mystery thing that is mastered only by its happy owners, like Lenny Kravitz.