Freewave 3 (2019)

Freewave 3

• The backseat of a dark and hazy car speeding down the freeway. The speaker at my foot thumping and droning with the 808, turned all the way up for max enjoyment. Lights from the dashboard are the only thing I can see clearly as the sounds of LUCKI’s “Freewave 3” enter my ears for the first time in my life, instantly hooking me with the spacey production and LUCKI’s druggy lyrical delivery. Admittedly, I was a little late to the party. It wasn’t until 2021, two years after release, that I first heard this tape, but seeing as how 2021 is the greatest year thus far in my existence, the tape holds a special place in my heart. As we continued tearing down the highway I realized something else; this tape is the type that has to be consumed in the very way I was consuming it: speeding down the highway in the dark with mental anguish on my mind. The third installment in LUCKI’s Freewave series is certainly the best. From the minute the space-like synths come in on Politics, you find yourself absorbed in the world that LUCKI has created for himself, a world drenched in pills, treacherous women, and codeine. It must also be said that LUCKI enjoys fast cars, a fact that is reflected in the fast and driving production that graces the tape’s fifteen tracks. Choosing the best-produced song on this album is akin to choosing a favorite child. Between the dark keys and fast hats on More Than Ever, the laid back Rhodes chords on Peach Dream, and the mind-numbing finale that is 3D Outro, LUCKI’s beat selection shines more than most in his lane in an age where sound is paramount to the listening experience. The place LUCKI seems to falter is his rhyme pattern and delivery. Due to his near-constant drug use, LUCKI’s vocals are delivered in a slow and monotone manner, reminiscent of Earl Sweatshirt in some fashion. On top of this, his rhyme pattern tends to be somewhat lazy, showcasing lyrical content that never goes much farther than drugs, cars, and women. Personally, this only adds to the luxury that is LUCKI but I can see how and why this may turn some listeners off of him. Clocking in at only thirty minutes, Freewave 3 is a great tape for short car rides around town, night-time flies down the freeway, or even a lazy day at the house.