With his interminable search for the right vintage guitar, the exact valve amp, it's tempting to see Lenny Kravitz--for all his much-vaunted cool--as something of a trainspotter: pastiche-rock's closet nerd. In fact, the least that can be said of him is that he's consistent in his obsessions. As single-minded (he plays virtually every instrument here) as he is deliberately anachronistic, Kravitz sincerely believes that rock peaked, as an artistic force, in the late 1960s, and has consequently devoted his entire career to recreating that particular period and sensibility. As ever, his sources are impeccable: from Sly & The Family Stone ("Freedom Train"), to the Beatles-esque string arrangement that propels "I Build This Garden For Us"; even his drumming recalls Ringo Starr--just as his vocals bring to mind the raw, emotionally ravaged McCartney of "Oh Darling". Still, he's redeemed--at least in part--by the surprising appeal of his own compositions: derivative they may be, but they're also decent rock and roll songs, albeit in a very classic vein. --Andrew McGuire