Reetoxa – “The Lisa Song”

Jason McKee has been sitting on this music for a long time. The Melbourne-based project Reetoxa goes back to 1997, when Jason was 17 and writing songs with nowhere to put them. “The Lisa Song” comes off Soliloquy, a double album he pulled together during the Melbourne COVID lockdowns, and knowing that backstory changes how you hear it.

The song is named after a real moment. Jason was at a Spiderbait gig at the Forum Theatre when a girl named Lisa asked to hear one of his songs. He had nothing ready. No recording, nothing polished, just rough voice notes on a phone. That moment embarrassed him enough to quit his university music degree and actually get the album made. You don’t write a song like this without that kind of meaning behind it. From the vocals to the production, everything is perfect.

Produced and mastered by Simon Moro, the track has serious players behind it. Kit Riley on bass has toured with Robbie Williams and Savage Garden. Peter Marin on drums comes from Jet. James Ryan played with Men at Work. “The Lisa Song” is one of the best releases I’ve heard this week.

Reetoxa spent years carrying these songs before he finally recorded them. The pandemic, a hospital stay, years of life getting in the way, and somehow it all ended up in one place. Follow Reetoxa on social media to keep up with new releases this year.