LENNY KRAVITZ”Are You Gonna Go My Way”...

LENNY KRAVITZ

“Are You Gonna Go My Way”

Virgin

* * 1/2

It’s not easy being a fan of one of the most critically maligned new artists of the past decade.

When friends blast Kravitz’s histrionic singing on, say, (fill in the blank), I tell them to listen to the graceful, quietly compelling “More Than Anything in This World.” When they make fun of his ‘60s posturing, I point out that he does the ‘70s, too, and darn well: 1991’s “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over” is as wonderful a pastiche of that decade’s mellow soul as anyone has ever put together. And when they deride his collaborative efforts (consider Madonna’s regrettable “Justify My Love” or his recent mentoring of Vanessa Paradis), I steer them to his work with Mick Jagger.

On his third album, Kravitz gives both sides plenty of ammunition. Yes, there’s dreck here: The title track is another of his overblown, teen-ager-aping-Hendrix rockers, and there’s more than one misguided attempt at a love song. But when Kravitz hits the mark--and he does so often enough that it must be talent rather than luck--the results can be serenely beautiful or grippingly tuneful. “Heaven Help,” for instance, is a bittersweet ballad perfectly tailored for the top of the charts. Kravitz is certainly an uneven talent, but the rewards for those patient with him are rich.

New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to four (excellent).