Sometimes the most memorable songs are not the result of grand design but of a passing, fortunate moment that holds. Reetoxa’s most recent drop, “Call,” is one of those tracks, a very personal piece inspired by a short-lived rekindling, a bittersweet goodbye, and the silence thereafter.
“Call” starts with Jason, the musical mastermind behind Reetoxa, finally catching a break from some financial hardships. So he cashed in on some good fortune, left Melbourne’s dreary winter rain for the Gold Coast’s winter sun, ready for a holiday. But what began as a straightforward getaway took a sentimental turn when he crossed paths with an ex-partner. By the end of that five-day weekend, old flames had flared up, memories were in full bloom, and the prospect of a new relationship was starting to feel real. Then just as quickly, it vanished. At the Brisbane airport, as he sat waiting to board his flight home, Jason felt the silence that was to come. The phone call he ached for never came. That bittersweet blend of longing and acquiescence was the seed for “Call.”
The song reflects its point of genesis, dark and ethereal, while holding grief. There’s a flow and a motion, a quiet whirring sound that might resemble the hum of an airplane engine, and that is all underscored by Reetoxa’s melodic layering, which in some ways feels personal and boundless. The singing has an emotional honesty that does not work too hard to gussy up heartbreak. Instead, they let the breath, providing the listener with the feeling of a direct line into the songwriter’s headspace.
“Call” is universal. It feels as if all of its grounding is in one man’s life. We’ve all waited for a message, a call, a sign, anything that could mark the end of one chapter or the beginning of another. On Reetoxa, which is about a shared ache, Reetoxa captures that feeling with painful acuity, creating a space for listeners to sit with their own memories of longing.