Lenny Kravitz has done some brilliant work in the course of his long and varied career as a songwriter, producer, arranger, and performer. On BAPTISM, however, he sounds ponderous and tired.

Part of the problem might lie in the fact that every single track on BAPTISM was written, arranged, performed, and produced by Lenny himself. Although the songs vary in tempo and mood, there is no variation when it comes to musical voice. Add power-ballad ambiance, consistently self-referential songs, and the apparent hypocrisy of lyrics like "I don't want to be a star/Just want my Chevy and an old guitar" (easy for HIM to say), and you've got an album that is well-performed and nicely produced, but ultimately pretty darn boring.

"What Did I Do With My Life?" sings Lenny, "Did I exercise giving and forgiveness with all my might?" A lovely sentiment, but the song quickly tips over into overwrought cliche that ruins the message. With lyrics that are safe but uninspired, and a cover that is just plain ridiculous, BAPTISM is nothing special.