Black and White America---Lenny Kravitz and his 9th Studio Album

The New Music Just Keeps on Coming.

August 30th, famed half Jewish, half Black rock artist Lenny Kravitz came out with Black and White America. His first record since 2008's It is Time for a Love Revolution, the artist had intended to record Negrophilia when he went to the Bahamas about a year ago to work on his next record. Instead, he came up with a 16-plus track fusion of funk, rock, soul, and R&B with positive undertones and hopeful messages.

The album opens with the ever-catchy, reminiscent of Stevie Wonder title track, "Black and White America" with excellent base work and a funky groove. Track 2, "Come On, Get It", which was recently featured on an NBA commercial was the album's first single and definitely assumes more of the style of "Let Love Rule", with rock dominating. The smooth soul returns again by Track 4, with "Liquid Jesus" and reemerges for "Looking Back On Love" again on Track 11. The smooth soul and funk elements particularly draw me in to the music on this album, where tracks like "Life Ain't Never Been Better Than It Is Now" remind me of John Legend's recent album with The Roots.

With Track 6, "Boongie Drop" featuring rap legend, Jay-Z and track 14, "Sunflower" featuring fellow interracial rapper and former Degrassi star, Drake, the album definitely shows off Kravitz' talent for diversifying among genres. This, perhaps, adds to the overall message of the album--one of love and a coming together among music and people. "The Faith of a Child", the album's 13th Track reminds me of a more soulful "Waiting on the World to Change", with clearly positive lyrics, if not slightly preachy. "Push", the 16th track written "as a rebuttal" to those who did not approve of President Obama's election, continues to carry this same distinct message of acceptance of difference.

With 4 distinct parts, Kravitz states, "I knew it would have to come out on vinyl" in an interview with CTV . "An album used to be a thing -- just like a piece of art, a sculpture, a painting -- and it's just sad to me that that's gone, because when I'm working on an album I'm working on an entire body of work and it matters how it all sounds together, " said Kravitz.

Were my vinyl player home in New Jersey with me, and not still anxiously awaiting my return in Evanston, I would have listened to it in its entirety on vinyl. However, being limited just to Spotify for now, I still listened to the album from start to finish to get a feel for what Kravitz was doing.

Peace.Love.Music

Kara Ali