If you fused grunge’s raw angst with the sweat-soaked charm of Aussie pub rock and tossed in a heavy dose of dark humour and lyrical gut punches, you’d land somewhere near Pines Salad. The debut LP from Melbourne’s Jason McKee, under the moniker ReeToxA, is a gutsy, unfiltered offering that spans 14 tracks of bruised emotion and sardonic storytelling. Three decades in gestation, the record feels like an old cassette found in a dusty glovebox and a fresh cut straight from the heart. With producer Simon Moro adding polish and some of Australia’s finest musicians lending their talent, the result is a blistering, lived-in listen.
The opening track, “Alcohol,” sets the mood with smouldering restraint, think twilight introspection soaked in delay-drenched guitars and late-night regret. “HMAS Cerberus” follows with a raw groove and confessional tone, as if whispered between whiskey shots at a forgotten dive. Then comes the curveball: “Papa Loves Ladyboys,” a deceptively gentle start that unspools into a melodic sucker punch, proving McKee isn’t afraid to throw tonal surprises into the mix.
You can hear the ghosts of the ‘90s in McKee’s DNA. Nirvana’s raw nerve, Pearl Jam’s earnest weight, but he adds his twist with confessional lyricism reminiscent of Elliott Smith, and a modern wink à la Olivia Rodrigo’s pop-savvy bite. The songs swing between heavy-hearted and hook-laden, chaotic but never incoherent. It’s music that bleeds, but does so with purpose and a sideways grin.
Pines Salad feels like paging through someone’s most private journal—dog-eared, wine-stained, occasionally unhinged. It doesn’t chase perfection, and that’s its strength. Every distorted chord and cracked vocal carries the weight of time lived, of stories half-told and scars barely healed. McKee delivers these moments with a voice that’s wholly his own: weathered, sharp, and unmistakably real.
If you’re drawn to alt-rock with teeth, grunge with a beating heart, or albums that refuse to be anything but honest, Pines Salad will hit home. It’s raw, ragged, and refreshingly free of pretence. Plug in, press play, and let yourself get dragged into the beautiful mess. You won’t want to leave.
Connect with ReetoxA on Spotify.