Lenny Kravitz's central failing as a songwriter has traditionally been his tendency towards blatant plagiarism. An over-reliance on '70s funk, Hendrix-like guitar riff-o-ramas and Motown-style ballads – not to mention his legendarily bombastic demeanour – has provided critics with easy ammunition to shoot down the New York pomp-rocker's grandiose, latter-day-Phil-Spector pretensions, to the cumulative detriment of Kravitz's cultural standing.
Still, when he cuts through the hype and bluster, Kravitz knows how to knuckle down and write a tune. 'Are You Gonna Go My Way?' remains a vintage slice of lethally addictive power-riffing, whilst the plaintive, Smokey Robinson-esque 'It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over' was a mighty fine stab at an old-school, no-nonsense orchestral ballad.
Now pushing forty, one gets the feeling that it's time for Kravitz to conclusively prove if he's more Lenny Bruce or Lenny Henry. Baptism opens with the burbling electro-rock of 'Minister Of Rock 'n' Roll', and while it clinically utilises the palate of modern day FM radio musicianship - ultra-slick Pro-tools production sheen: check; measured session guitar licks: check; generic "Who's The Daddy?"-style lyrical posturing: cheque - the tune already hints at this record's congenital mediocrity.
As ever, the singer pays dutiful homage to his musical heroes, without ever taking the time to fully forge a distinctive personal identity. Thus 'Calling All Angels' apes the piano-led rhythms and urban melancholia of Lou's 'Perfect Day', but is ultimately spoiled by Kravitz's overwrought vocals and pedestrian guitar work. Likewise, 'I Don't Want To Be A Star' aims for the quirky burlesque of 'Changes'-era Bowie (he wishes) but lacks the stylistic eccentricities that made Ziggy and the Spiders From Mars such a space oddity on the early '70s horizon.
Having said all that, Lenny has been around the block one too many times to produce a total turkey. 'Lady' drives along on a killer guitar riff and a pulsating rhythm section, 'Sistamamalover' tears the roof off the sucker with some deviously Sly funk rhythms, and Jay-Z does a tidy job with the rapping paper on 'Storm'.
Overall, Baptism contains the odd moment of divine inspiration, but really, Lenny still needs to derive more carefully if he's to avoid middle of the road limbo.