Fans of Buck 65 will already be aware of his abilities as both an engaging storyteller and a writer of brutally honest and open songs like previous odes to his mother (Man Overboard’s ‘Ice’) and father (Talkin’ Honky Blues’s ‘Roses & Bluejays’). He puts these skills to good use with Bike For Three!, his new collaboration project with Belgian electronicist Jo’lle Phuong Minh L (aka Greetings From Tuskan), delving deep for an album of songs about love and loss. These personal confessions are coaxed out by Jo’lle’s beautifully brooding electronic productions that flow and grow as each song progresses, revealing subtle nuances and unusual samples even after numerous plays. Beginning at the ‘Beginning’ with atmospheric noise and Buck’s frantic background scratches, the mood is set for an album that can most closely be associated with his electronic-sounding Boy Girl Fight bootleg, much of which later turned up on Man Overboard. Amongst all this emotional outpouring, one song stands out like a sore thumb. Despite it’s old school electro beat and Dr. Octagon-like battle raps, ‘MC Space’ doesn’t seem so out of place when one realizes this faithful MC Shan cover is just a continuation of Buck’s love affair with the music of one of his favourite MCs. It’s a fun, upbeat song that is not only one of the highlights of the album but also serves as a great break from the emotional weight of the rest of the album. More Heart Than Brains is a title that perfectly captures the spirit of this album.
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