In the lyrics of "California," Lenny Kravitz tells the tale of a girl he met as a youth, who played him recordings of "Who, Zeppelin, Beatles, Kiss, and the Rolling Stones." If Prince, Hendrix, and a few 1970s one-hit wonders had been added to the list, this might have been a tidy description of the sounds emanating from BAPTISM. Of course, Kravitz has always been much more than the sum of his influences. By taking the sound, energy, and attitude of classic rock and combining it with just the right dose of 21st-century urban music, the one-man band pays homage to pop history while creating something of his own. Here, he's unusually reflective and self-referential, repeatedly returning to themes of loneliness, dissatisfaction, and uncertainty about his life choices. Of course, this is no somber folk album, so fans can be assured that each track on BAPTISM rocks in Kravitz's trademark spare, blazing, guitar-driven style.