Since The National’s blossoming in the late naughties, Brooklyn has become a hotbed of musical and creative brilliance, with countless bands based in (or relocating to) the borough finding a rich vein of form. And none have risen with what appears to be such ease and abandon as Geese. While sales of their 2021 debut LP Projector were modest, their acclaim was immediate, further cemented by the success of second album 3D Country two years later.
As such, their 3rd long player Getting Killed was one of the most anticipated releases of 2025 – a level of hype which lesser bands may have crumbled underneath.
Thankfully, Geese appear to remain unaffected, having turned in one of the most compelling and carefree offerings of the year.
While the knife-edge nature of their sprawling, chaotic rock and experimental touchpoints remain, Geese have tapped into something deeper to find an emotional resonance which serves as a necessary and compelling counterpoint, despite the absence of anything as unapologetically joyful as Cowboy Nudes (their most streamed song). From its first bars, opening track Trinidad finds lead singer Cameron Winter channelling Thom Yorke’s more ethereal moments, but somehow successfully layers the resulting contemplation (“I tried, I tried, I tried so hard”) with aggressive noise-rock to great effect. On the title track, a Primal Scream-style groove gives way to an introspective and self-revealing verse (“My love takes a long time, longer than a lover can survive”).
But nowhere is their steady evolution into an indie tour de force more apparent than Bow Down. The swirling mash-up of 70’s soul, Tuareg blues and a wailing, keening vocal delivery reminiscent of Nick Cave’s more ebullient moments provides proof positive that Geese have mastered the art of imbibing their many influences and digesting them into something completely new and refreshingly bold.
A triumph. – 4.5/5 stars
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