Melbourne-based rock project Reetoxa turns a teenage musical awakening into a lively tribute with “Dancing With Lou,” a vibrant cut from the album Soliloquy. Led by Jason McKee, the song looks back to 1995, when a friend’s father introduced the then-15-year-old McKee to Lou Reed’s solo work through The Blue Mask. Coming from a world dominated by grunge and alternative rock, Reed’s unfiltered songwriting opened another door for the young musician, encouraging him to approach music without censorship or fear. Decades later, that influence has become a song—and what a spirited one it is.
“Dancing With Lou” wastes little time getting its feet moving. Thumping beats and bustling cymbals give the track an immediate rock-and-roll pulse, while McKee’s charismatic voice carries the story with an easy, engaging confidence. There is plenty of grit in the arrangement, but Reetoxa wisely keeps the groove front and centre. The result is raw without becoming rough around the edges, and catchy without sanding away its personality. Before long, the song has that irresistible quality of something you can imagine a roomful of people shouting along to.
The musicianship gives the track plenty of muscle, too. Peter Marin of JET handles the drums, with James Ryan on guitar and Kit Riley on bass, while McKee provides the vocals, lyrics and songwriting. Recorded at The Avenue in Cheltenham and mixed and mastered by Simon Moro, the production balances its nostalgic rock character with a surprisingly danceable momentum.
At its heart, though, “Dancing With Lou” is about liberation: the moment an artist discovers that music can say the things polite society might rather leave unsaid. And McKee’s story comes full circle—he eventually met Reed, who even steadied his trembling arm while signing a poster. Now framed on his wall, that memory has found an equally fitting home in song.
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Review by: Naomi Joan