Lenny Kravitz is one of those artists who has an absolutely terrible image and yet insists on making albums that are, well, really not at all bad. Granted, Baptism is not a patch on the early records that made the LA rocker such a superstar back in the mid-90s. It is, however, full of stomping garage tunes that, if the White Stripes had recorded them, would probably be regarded as instant classics. Kravitz's lusty rawk vocals are as powerful as ever and he's even managed to entice his rapper mate Jay-Z into making an entertaining guest appearance. Thankfully for the cynics, the ballads are fairly embarrassing and the lyrics are pretty rubbish too. So, it's still ok for the trendies to look down on poor old Lenny. Those with a more open mind, however, might just be pleasantly surprised.
