Lenny Kravitz Raise Vibration

View Raise Vibration, Lenny Kravitz's 11th album, as something of a call to arms, a way to encourage good vibes in a time sorely lacking in positivity. Kravitz has been preaching about the power of love since the dawn of his career but, nearly 30 years later, the pendulum has swung toward darkness. Instead of succumbing to despair, Kravitz rallies, creating an impassioned collection that spins his signature sounds into something stirring and, at times, incandescent. As always, Kravitz excels as a magpie craftsman and producer, assembling elements of his idols into something that sounds like him, not them. On Raise Vibration, Prince isn't far from his thoughts -- the bracing "Who Really Are the Monsters?" pulsates to an electro-funk beat, a sound he hasn't attempted before -- which make sense, given the Purple One's tragic 2016 passing. Mortality is on Kravitz's mind -- "Johnny Cash" is not about the country music great, but rather a song about his late mother, filtered through his own memories of meeting Cash -- but the album itself leans toward life. While Kravitz still harbors a fondness for corny conventions -- he borrows heavily from shopworn rock imagery, he writes an explicit summertime anthem -- his sincere belief in these clich?s winds up making them ingratiating. Of course, he's helped by his craft. Nearly 30 years into his career, Kravitz knows how to sculpt not just sounds, but a cohesive LP, and that kind of pro assurance, when combined with his earnest hippie beliefs, make Raise Vibration a sunny, affirming listen. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

• Genre: Rock
• Format: Vinyl