The Brooklyn-based band has been turning heads for a few years now with their fresh take on rock and indie music.
Taking inspiration anywhere from The Strokes to Creedence Clearwater Revival, Geese continue to perfect their sound while also gaining droves of new fans in the process.
The album, Getting Killed, only further proves this point and is their best showing to date.
While I was a little late to their 2023 breakthrough 3D Country, I was quick to see why these guys were already so beloved and the sheer amount of potential they possessed.
With everyone in the band having immense talent behind their respective instruments, especially at such a young age, I have to specifically applaud lead singer Cameron Winter for his unique and stellar vocal ability.
While maybe not for everyone, I can assure you that if you click with his vocal style, you’ll want to listen to them on loop for hours. It just scratches a specific itch.
Winter’s solo album from 2024, Heavy Metal, is also a great, tranquil time and sounds nothing like what the title suggests.
This brings me to 2025. While 3D Country was a more calculated and blissful invitation of sorts, Getting Killed will either have you out the door immediately or sticking around until morning.
With a more off-kilter, zany, and abrasive approach to their song structures while also maintaining that level of charm that made 3D so interesting in the first place, this new record defies genre barriers and commands your attention.
No track makes that more clear than the opener “Trinidad.” Think Hail to the Thief era Radiohead mixed with one of the more sinister JPEGMAFIA cuts, and you’ll have this song in a nutshell. Wild, I know, but all the more interesting and invigorating for it.
Which reminds me, frequent JPEGMAFIA collaborator Kenny Beats is actually a main producer on this record alongside the band themselves.
Further showcasing his versatile and seasoned palette, Kenny adds a level of color and intensity that makes this unlike any rock-adjacent album in recent memory—a breath of fresh air for the genre in the best way.
“Cobra” is likely the most familiar song here with its soft, jangly guitars and Winter’s sultry, Elvis-esque delivery. Chronicling a rather “it’s complicated” relationship, the juxtaposition of the breezy tone will have your heart fluttering anyway.
“Husbands” follows with its lumbering melody, allowing for Winter’s expressive and weary voice to soar that much more.
Flowing perfectly into the boisterous title track, “Getting Killed” makes great use of the band’s instrumental prowess and improvisation skills.
With addicting drum fills, a sharp bassline, and vintage backing vocals, this track also tackles many of the central themes of the record further, detailing topics like death, control, and trying to find some sort of solace within the modern world.
“Islands of Men” is easily one of the most intriguing tracks here and one of my personal favorites as well.
The slow build and ease of the song make the subject matter much more enticing in turn. Winter continues to discuss themes of loneliness and isolation while also pleading for reconciliation, taking inspiration from the timeless “No Man is an Island” poem.
The track also includes undertones of transgender awareness and identity, as their guitarist, Emily Green, has stated that she is more confident and less timid now since transitioning and fully embracing who she is. Along with a spontaneous instrumental outro, this song is nothing short of exceptional.
“100 Horses” is another absolute barnburner and a great centerpiece for the album. Speaking on contentious topics of war and propaganda, Winter’s sarcastic tone truly makes this track speak for the sour times we continue to find ourselves in.
I could even go as far as to say that it’s the current generation’s answer to songs like “Fortunate Son” or “For What It’s Worth.”
“Half Real” and fan favorite “Au Pays du Cocaine” then take the album down a more calm and introspective path, reminiscent of Winter’s solo work.
While these tracks could halt the record’s momentum for some, they also leave room to admire the band’s songwriting even more, with some of Winter’s most vulnerable and thought-provoking lyrics.
“Bow Down” continues to expand upon the themes of relationship turmoil from the last two tracks with a more upbeat, exciting edge, making sure this album doesn’t go out without a bang.
The penultimate cut, “Taxes,” continues this streak with what could possibly be the band’s best track to date.
As I’ve discussed in some of my previous pieces, this song never fails to give me chills.
While Winter croons over sparse percussion and bass, discussing feelings of guilt and a possible need to better himself, the track abruptly shifts into this grandiose jam-band fervor that I can only describe as euphoric, melancholic bliss. It is easily one of my favorite singles of the year.
Closing the album almost as strangely as it started, “Long Island City Here I Come” makes for an incredible, multi-phased send-off.
Winter mixes in various references and metaphors while continuing to reflect on life and how we’re all just trying to make the best of it in the midst of this crazy world. Along with a rather anxious whirlwind of energetic percussion and a galvanizing bassline, this track brings the message and spirit of Getting Killed to its culmination.
Overall, this record was an absolute blast and another step up for Geese. Even if I wasn’t over the moon for every single song, that doesn’t take away from the utter brilliance in lyricism, performances, and overall relevance this album holds.
I’ll be rooting for Geese well into 2026, as they may just be one of the defining rock bands of this decade so far.
“I’m getting killed by a pretty good life.”
My rating: 8.9/10
Listen: Geese – Taxes (Official Music Video)
Support: Geese | Official Website
