Geese - 3D Country

New York City has often provided a home to the freaks, and right now Geese are doing their best to establish that reputation for themselves. Having released one of 2021’s buzziest debuts, they’ve abandoned their previous sonic palette in pursuit of pure experimentation. On ‘3D Country’, there are traces of the discordant post-punk they are known for, but this time far removed from any cliche of the modern genre. ‘2122’ has as much to do with Led Zeppelin or Creedence Clearwater Revival as it does Shame or Squid, and seven-minute epic ‘Undoer’ twists between a Stranglers bassline and Ramones power chords. There is nothing predictable about this album: ‘I See Myself’ is a soulful ballad that shows Cameron Winter’s voice as an underrated powerhouse, while ‘Crusades’ is a delight of Strokes-meets-Supergrass pop writing.

For many bands, confidence means being able to be yourself uninhibited, but on ‘3D Country’ it seems to be the bravery to explore the unknown. The price of this is that the album suffers from a few rough patches, but Geese have freed themselves from all expectations, which is a rare feat for a second album, and worthy of praise.