Geese, a New York-based indie rock band consisting of frontman Cameron Winter, guitarist Emily Green, bassist Dominic DiGesu and drummer Max Bassin, released its third studio album, “Getting Killed,” on Sept. 26. Since the album’s release, the band has exploded in popularity, with songs on the album garnering millions of streams. Thousands of videos on social platforms like TikTok are using top songs from the album, including “Au Pays du Cocaine” and “Taxes.” Some videos have even deemed Geese and “Getting Killed” as saving indie rock, while others wonder if the album is overly hyped, editorialized or somehow favored by the algorithm.
I don’t know if I would go so far as to say Geese is “saving” indie rock, which is an incredibly popular genre of music and boasts a number of established bands like The Strokes, Arcade Fire, Black Country, New Road and LCD Soundsystem, all of whom still release music. There’s also been a recent rise in indie rock with the revival of the indie sleaze aesthetic, with bands and artists like The Dare, Fontaines DC and MJ Lenderman gaining popularity. These bands seem to have a somewhat similar feeling to Geese’s, proving that Geese’s new album isn’t an isolated cultural event. Moreover, it feels like Winter and Geese are building on the historical legacies of ’90s and early 2000s popular indie rock music.
For one, Winter’s crooning tone in “Getting Killed” feels reminiscent of Neutral Milk Hotel’s Jeff Mangum in “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea.” It’s the kind of singing that wouldn’t win any choir concerts as it certainly has a sort of dissonant texture to it. But the melody behind Winter’s voice, like Mangum’s, is accompanied by charming melodies, which complement the lyrics, despite the difference in their tones. Personally, I’m a big fan of “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea,” and so its similarities with “Getting Killed” are likely a reason for my enjoyment of Geese’s new songs.
Looking inward at the album, it’s mostly cohesive, opening with “Trinidad,” which feels the most akin to traditional rock. It is almost Zeppelin or Hendrix-esque, with Winter singing relatively slowly, yet with a certain grit. The guitar feels raw and the drums accompany Winter’s frustration-fueled melody. Rapper JPEGMAFIA has a guest appearance on “Trinidad,” screaming “There’s a bomb in my car,” which may seem somewhat out of place, but is weirdly niche enough to fit in with the album’s curated mood.
The sound shifts with the album’s second track, “Cobra.” The track is one of the most popular on the album and probably my favorite. The melody is cheery, while the lyrics are quite the opposite. Winter sings about how a lover should feel sorry, saying “You should be shame’s only daughter,” while still expressing his desire. It’s multifaceted and contradictory in all the best ways. As Winter sings, “Let me dance away forever,” you kind of want to join in.
Another one of the most popular songs on the album is “Taxes,” which is more of a ballad and, while the lyrics protest paying taxes on the surface, it feels more like a metaphor for emotional responsibility as Winter croons, “I will break my own heart from now on.”
“Au Pays du Cocaine” has also received a lot of internet attention. Winter sings, “Like a sailor in a big green boat / Like a sailor in a big green coat / You can be free / You can be free and still come home.” The lyrics may seem random, but they’re intentional. The color green is generally unlucky to sailors, representative of running aground, the mold of a rotting ship or sea sickness. The irony is that a sailor wouldn’t ever be in a “big green boat” or “big green coat.” With this understanding, the lyrics feel desperate, and the song takes on a deeper meaning.
It’s the witty significance of Geese’s lyrics that really makes the album. Tied with intricate melodies, “Getting Killed” feels like walking into a candy shop for young indie-fanatics. They’ve grown up on the established indie anthems their parents played on long car rides, and now they have one to call their own. Those outside of that niche might not be as impressed by “Getting Killed” and find that it feels like a collection of screams with a voice like an untuned guitar. But Geese is doing something interesting, and that’s what makes their album work.
