Local Review: Freaky Jason – Some Lovey Dovey Shit

Freaky Jason

Some Lovey Dovey Shit

Self-Released

Street: 02.08

Freaky Jason = Usher + Childish Gambino + Jinsang

Local artist Freaky Jason is bringing his love life to your ears with his latest release, Some Lovey Dovey Shit. The work is four tracks long and features Jason singing sweet nothings, looking at his life, his lovers and how sensuality, loss, closeness and love-making all relate to his experience as a person. 

Jason sings throughout most of the work, using simple and classic R&B beats with a modern feel to them. Tracks such as “Learn You” and “Confession” sound like a mix between a classic Usher ballad and a lo-fi beat tape, with simple, laid-back guitar and instrument samples backed by a classic drum kit. The beats in Some Lovey Dovey Shit give room for Jason to shine as a lyricist, which is important because his narratives are where the story is told and the artist is heard. 

“You Are” is easily one of the strongest tracks on Some Lovey Dovey Shit. A quiet, contemplative guitar riff winds its way through the song, taking the listener through a journey into Freaky Jason’s courtship of a new lover. Jason raps about meeting this new person and instantly falling for them. His lyrics are to the point, addressing his lover straight on, telling them how he feels. Jason raps: “You are familiar although you’re so new / You are made for me / I know that it’s true.”

The best part of “Your Are” comes in the second half of the track. Following a hook, the beat explodes. The guitar riff repeats but takes a different shape, backed by a punching kick drum and additional samples. Just like the lover Jason sings about filling his life with newfound passion and eroticism, the beat of “You Are” fills the listener with a mounting excitement as the track bounces along. 

The final track of Some Lovey Dovey Shit, “That Would Be Okay,” features local rapper Burnell Washburn, who has dominated Salt Lake City’s hip hop scene for years. Washburn is a nice addition to this track, breaking up Jason’s singing with a well-crafted, from-the-heart verse. Washburn contemplates life and lost love in a melancholy way, reflecting on times with a past lover, nostalgically remembering going to events together before their paths split and they went their separate ways. 

Though Washburn raps on pain, he’s experienced in relationships; the end of the verse shows that his overall message is hopeful. He looks toward a future where one can love oneself and memories don’t have to be painful. Washburn raps: “Everything is one / So when I look into these mirrors / I know it will all be ok / I choose love over fear.” 

Some Lovey Dovey Shit has good elements, and it’s obvious that Freaky Jason is setting a strong foundation for more R&B tracks and EPs to come. The mixing and mastering of the album is professional; the beats are a good fit, and the lyrics take shape in a way that allows Jason to easily express his experience as an artist, human being and lover. Stay tuned for more Freaky Jason works coming soon to a speaker near you. –Taylor Hartman