Geese - Getting Killed

To be labelled a ‘hyped’ band can be a poisoned chalice, especially for groups where the average age of members is under 25. Since 2023’s ‘3D Country’ and the critical acclaim of frontman Cameron Winter’s solo album ‘Heavy Metal’, Geese have been heralded as the heir apparent to New York’s indie-rock throne. With the release of ‘Getting Killed’, it is clear that such praise is justified. 

Alongside producer Kenneth Blume (aka Kenny Beats), Geese have moulded their art-inflected dad-rock into something exploratory and markedly progressive. While the quartet flex their experimentalism in the skulking basslines and bayou brass stutters of ‘Trinidad’ or the undulating guitar play and drum breaks of the album’s title track, there is a considered focus on songcraft at the heart of each composition. Despite being progressive and extensive, ‘Getting Killed’ remains measured and ultimately fun. ‘100 Horses’ invokes ’70s stadium rock in its bluesy swagger and anti-war messaging, while the record’s second half features the offbeat shimmer and singalong tenderness of ‘Au Pays du Cocaine’ and ‘Taxes’, before closing on the rousing gallop of ‘Long Island City Here I Come’. A carefully crafted and expansive release from a group of young musicians truly coming of age.