Black and White America (Deluxe Version)

iTunes Review

Lenny Kravitz is rock music’s great synthesizer of styles. He evokes an era of peace and love but he does so with modern sounds that don’t settle for simple retro. Now, a melody as powerpop as “In the Black” carries shades of the early 1970s, but there’s also a modern bite attached. The title track throws some ‘70s-styled funk into a tune that’s less overtly political than its title might suggest. “Come On Get It” and “Superlove” modernize the funk attack. “Rock Star City Life” is the kind of celebrity motif fans have come to expect from the man who openly idolizes Prince, Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon. Kravitz demands his sound be big. He teams up with Jay-Z and DJ Military for the hip-hop driven “Boogie Drop,” while his own “Stand” (not the Sly Stone tune) heats up over a thick synth riff. “Everything” toughens up the guitars for a Stones-like romp. “I Can’t Be Without You” has a lite-FM touch. The Deluxe Edition includes the falsetto-led, techno-layered bonus cut “War,” an acoustic version of the title track and videos for “Stand” and the live version of the title track.