Melbourne-based songwriter Jason McKee, the artist behind Reetoxa, has turned a turbulent life into an unusually expansive body of work. His 26-song autobiographical project Soliloquy, once described as “the diary of a madman,” reaches into years of struggle, recovery, loss, and reinvention. Now, “Strong / Truce” brings two of its hidden gems together, pairing 90s-flavoured rock with contemporary production and two very different stages of emotional recovery.
“Strong” eases in with relaxing strumming before gritty, fuzzy guitars begin grinding underneath. McKee’s thick voice carries the song with resilience. He sounds empathetic, compassionate, and still bruised by what he is singing about. Thumping drums gradually give the track more weight, making its message hit harder as he reflects on rebuilding his life after a near-fatal overdose, the finality of divorce, and the complicated guilt of trying to find happiness again. The song feels like someone cautiously learning how to stand upright.
Then comes “Truce,” and the volume rises. Engaging, driving guitars churn into a wall of sound while steady drums and splashing cymbals keep everything moving forward. McKee remains compelling at the centre of the storm, singing about forgiveness without pretending that forgiveness means everything is suddenly fine. A sequel to “Gown,” the song revisits his overdose and a surreal dreamlike encounter with what he perceived as a divine presence, arriving at an uneasy middle ground: he can forgive, but he is not ready to call a complete truce.
Both songs were completed during the isolation of COVID-19, and that solitude seems baked into their emotional grain. Producer Simon Moro pushed McKee to mentally return to the moment each song was conceived before recording his vocals, an uncomfortable process that clearly paid off.
Recorded at The Avenue studio in Cheltenham with musicians including Jet’s Peter Marin on drums, the double A-side ultimately feels like two chapters of the same recovery story: one learning to be strong, the other learning when—and whether—to make peace.
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Review by: Naomi Joan