Geese Get Killed

by Jim Sellars and Bradley Humble

The eclectic indie rock outfit currently taking the internet by storm is Geese, a New York-based group that has drawn praise from the likes of Cillian Murphy, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, and every obnoxious indie wanker you’ve ever met (including me, Jimmy Sellars). Their newest album, Getting Killed, was widely anticipated by many excited fans and did not disappoint, as the new sound of the band is eccentric, progressive, and wacky, my favourite.

Contrary to their previous and far more digestible blues-based project, 3D Country, Getting Killed is a masterclass of breaking the status quo of modern mainstream music, delivering a unique blend of soul, rock, alternative, and a weird something else I can’t yet place my finger on. Cameron Winter, the band’s frontman, delivers a whiny and passionate vocal performance on many of the tracks, while the rest of the band seems to fall into their own style, an increasingly signature sound that manifests as you listen throughout their discography. 

The album begins with the track, “Trinidad”, which in all honesty, I dont like very much… Although Bradley does… so there’s that.

“THERE’S A BOMB IN MY CAR” – Bradley

Trinidad is repetitive in the best possible way, bringing the listener into the world of commonly Canadian feathered bipeds, one scream and one zany riff at a time.

“THERE’S A BOMB IN MY CAR” – Jim (it’s growing on me)

Trinidad is nonsensical, abrupt, and gritty. Lyrically ridiculous and musically explosive, it sets the stage for a far more experimental album than what we’ve come to expect from Geese, which is saying something, as “2122”, 3D Country’s opener, is also pretty fucking weird. That’s why the transition into the next piece, “Cobra”, is so unexpected, which is not to say it’s unwelcome, however.

“Cobra” is a slow, beautiful ballad dedicated to… dancing? To South Asian snakes? To washing your significant other’s feet? God knows, this dude’s songwriting is wack. Regardless of its meaning, though, the song is gorgeous, and I can see why it’s quickly become their most popular track on Spotify. A palatable and catchy indie folk/love song that makes you want to dance away… forever.

Another melodically friendly track, “Islands of Men”, follows the instrumental explosion of the title track, “Getting Killed”. Emily Green’s amazing guitar work greets the listener with a mellow riff that winds through the track, repeating alongside cheerfully clinking percussion. Each added layer of sound on this track carefully guides the listener to the halfway mark. Interrupted by a simple series of chords, the song returns with a new momentum, Max Bassin’s drums in full force, along with additional vocal harmonies. But instead of creating a sonic disconnect between the first half that preceded it, as is the case with many of the other tracks on this album (“Taxes”, “Getting Killed”), the intensity added to this next half translates as even more laidback swagger, capitalizing on the simple guitar riffs and Winter’s seemingly disinterested lyrical deliveries. Adding in tasteful horns and piano, the song blossoms into a choir-like climax where every instrument finally joins into an organized chaos, and the song concludes.

“Au Pays Du Cocaine” follows a few songs after, another slow ballad, weaving repetitive lyrics with a plucky steel guitar melody. Cameron, in this song, a lovesick, seemingly in denial, romantic pleads for his partner to stay, to change, to come home. The title Au Pays du Cocaine is a clever play on words of the French phrase for being in the land of plenty, “au pays de cocagne,” implying a drug-induced land of plenty, perhaps alluding to the song being dedicated to a partner in the throes of drug addiction (but I’m also totally bullshitting and have no idea). The song builds with Winters’ signature piano that swells behind his weary vocals, creating a haunting sense of yearning that feels both intimate and cinematic. The chorus emphasises being free, as a sailor in a big green boat or a big green coat is free, but the freedom he describes feels hollow, more like a return to comfort rather than liberation itself. In a final burst of energy, the song builds and ends with almost a pathetic reassurance that everything is fine, spoiler alert, it probably isn’t…

Winter continues his sailor and boat motif in the following track, “Bow Down”. The song begins with the statement “I was a sailor, and now I’m a boat”…  truly profound… Despite my snide pretentiousness (Jim Bruce Sellars, not Bradley Tellez Humble), this song is probably my favourite on the album, an energy-filled, experimental rock piece chock-full of bounding guitar rhythms, technical drum fills, and weird timing, all rounded out with thick bass and lead guitar lines which ground the otherwise rather chaotic song. It’s the kind of song that feels like it’s about to fall apart at any second, but somehow glues itself together, a testament to the band’s ability to hold the pocket relentlessly, something highlighted in the song’s breakdown and guitar solo. Lyrically, “Bow Down” glances the line of absurdity, obsessed with “Maria’s dead bones”, whatever that means; but also genius, as with the line: “he with least money has most to sell”, where it seems Cameron Winter discovers the laws of economic necessity, incredible. 

Closing the album in stunning Geese fashion, “Long Island Here I Come”, showcases perhaps the biggest strengths of Geese’s musicianship. Sticking close to the same pattern of two very distinct parts of each song, Dominic DiGesu’s bass and Bassin’s drums (shoutout rhythm sections everywhere) usher the latter half of this track in, leaving nothing on the table. Sporting an absolutely fucked bass line, this song makes the listener want to stage dive. After an album that could be characterized as a careful restraint on the brink of chaos, with always just a little bit of unhingedness to be wanted from each track, “Long Island Here I Come” ensures that the listener really only wants to take a nap once the track is over. When it abruptly ends, you can finally appreciate how your ears just got the shit beat out of them by Geese.

While Getting Killed might fall on some deaf ears due to its reliance on drastic changes in most songs, resulting in a somewhat nonsensical project, it’s precisely on this nonsense that Geese thrives. Breaking away from the traditional constraints of rock’n roll, Geese’s embrace of non-conventional sonic structures feels like a huge step forward, rather than any regression from their previous projects.

Call me crazy, but in this sense, maybe we all have something to learn from Geese. Instead of creating an album that might have done better for radio, which so many artists seem to have done after finding a hint of monetary success (I’m thinking Amyl and the Sniffers, IDLES and even (please dont hurt me) Black Country New Road), they chose to keep music different, interesting, and raw. In the era of giant streaming conglomerates that hinder the average listener’s ability to explore new music and subsequently dump their profits into detestable investments, maybe Geese can serve as a role model for bands that want to keep their artistic authenticity without compromising success.

NEW YORK CITAAAYY!!!!!!!!!