Melbourne-based musician and vocalist Jason McKee has officially arrived with his magnificent new track, “Love Keeps Burning Still,” the great artistic vision of Reetoxa. To help bring this very personal work to life, McKee assembled a stellar cast of Australian music aristocracy. The superb line-up includes bassist Kit Riley (Robbie Williams, Ross Wilson), guitarist James Ryan (Men At Work, Ross Wilson), drummer Peter Marin (Jet, Ross Wilson) and studio piano maestro Terry Hart.
The song also boasts a stunning vocal duet with acclaimed soprano Jessica McPherson Riley and sweeping orchestration by a live Budapest strings orchestra from Europe under the professional supervision of Simon Moro. Hailing from the lively, inventive streets of South Melbourne, this single is a daring, cinematic statement that takes the emotional heart of the song to the front and center.
At the very heart of the song is “Love Keeps Burning Still,” a very poignant story of love, sorrow and transformation. During the height of the acute isolation of the COVID-19 lockdown, when McKee was writing up to ten songs a day, the music is extremely autobiographical. It includes details about McKee’s divorce from his ex-wife Lee, whom he met at Munich’s Oktoberfest in 2003 and married from 2011 to 2016. Ironically, it was Jason’s unrelenting drive to make music that pushed them apart, yet the anguish gave life to this wonderful song, first played to the absolute surprise of his friends in the peaceful coastal town of Lorne.
Love Keeps Burning Still
On a sonic level, “Love Keeps Burning Still” is a glorious blend of orchestral rock and contemporary pop balladry that demands your attention. The song starts out in a calm, personal place, just a soft piano melody by Terry Hart and a soft, heartbeat-like pulse. The arrangement soon opens out significantly, with the sweeping strings of the Budapest orchestra – placed, incredibly, entirely over Zoom – entering the mix, giving it a cinematic grandeur.
Finally, it culminates in a soaring, stadium-sized rock climax featuring warm electric guitars. The vocal duet is a fantastic match for this gorgeous instrumental build-up. Every shared experience is so genuine as the song plays, like some deep, moving discussion between Jason’s gruff, aged voice and Jessica’s sweet, beautiful tones.
The real enchantment of “Love Keeps Burning Still” is not in the gorgeous musicianship but in the depth of its message and the lovely way it ties into our day-to-day lives. We often treat endings as failures in our modern world. We tend to walk away with resentment or heavy silence whether it is a marriage, a job route or a chapter of life ending.
This song gives us a more mature, healthier way. It tells us that when there is a fork in the road the love we felt need not turn into hate. Instead, we might allow that love be a pleasant, comfortable warmth in our memory. It’s a kind perspective that teaches us how to heal, to love where we have been while we move forward in harmony.
Ultimately, “Love Keeps Burning Still” is a unique, exquisite feat. It illustrates that even as a flame must change shape, its warmth can still illuminate the way home. Find a quiet darkened area and put on a pair of excellent headphones. Open your heart and allow the cinematic waves of this tune wash over you.
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