Three decades into his songwriting journey, Melbourne-based musician Jason McKee could have easily introduced his band Reetoxa with something bland; a slick rock-and-roller which politely announces its presence and quickly vanishes into the algorithm. Instead, “Demand Perfection” does the opposite; it walks into the room and acts like it belongs there.
Demand Perfection, the band’s newest original single is grounded on a deceptively uncomplicated concept: modern romance has moved from matters of the heart to those of the resume. Inspired by a run-in McKee had with a bold gym-goer in Richmond, the track rails against a society that is increasingly obsessed with money, appearance and the impossible expectations we place on each other. It’s social commentary that delivers just enough wit to avoid the pitfall of coming across as patronizing.
While Reetoxa sounds fits well into melodic alternative rock, there’s an unexpected lack of pretension in its arrangement. The guitars are clean, but not to the degree of being overproduced, the rhythm section keeps a steady, confident pace and the band resist the temptation to muddle the mix. Every instrument plays its part in contributing to the song.
McKee himself likens the chorus to the best they’ve ever written, and it’s hard to disagree. It hits with that kind of natural-seeming instantaneity that makes your fingers automatically reach for the play button-the hook works not through sheer force, but by condensing the song’s frustration into an utterly unforgettable package.
Lyrically the tune feels timely without seeming too trend-chasing-social media has transformed romance into a carefully curated marketplace where everyone is expected to outstrip reality with their wealth, fitness, success and happiness. Reetoxa doesn’t offer a simple solution to this problem; rather, it highlights its silliness. In spite of its snappy guitars, there’s an honest and relatable message at the core: looking for perfection is the quickest path to missing genuine human connection.
The single, recorded at The Avenue Recording Studio in Cheltenham, maintains an organic warmth and charm fitting for its subject. There’s an absence of artificiality, appropriate for a track questioning the artificiality of our obsession with polish.
For a relatively new artist establishing itself, Demand Perfection feels surprisingly confident. And if McKee is correct, it should have been Reetoxa’s debut single, and for all of the right reasons: It has the confidence, the songwriting, and the energy of a tune that know what it wants to say-and doesn’t expect you to perfection itself, or ask for it from listeners.
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About the Author
A tenured media critic known working as a ghost writer, freelance critic for various publications around the world, the former lead writer of review blogspace Atop The Treehouse and content creator for Manila Bulletin.
