Album of the Week: Geese – Getting Killed

We were pretty much out of stock before this even hit the shop floor upon its initial release, so it’s only fair we do the right thing and award Album of the Week to this semi-transparent violet vinyl repress of it which is out TODAY.

How many times have we thought “rock” was dead? For years now, we’ve been wandering in the middle of the road, so much so we’re laying prone, with artists and bands we expect a little more from, bands you want to take risks, musically or lyrically, but who keep playing it safe or sticking to what they know. They churn out stuff that’s viable and passable as rock music, sure, but pretty damn tame. All fine and well, you may say, but where’s the excitement in that? It’s been god knows how long since a rock album grabbed the world by the balls quite like Getting Killed, the third album from Geese.

And if you’re so inclined, I’m sure you can barely move on social media for memes and content about this extraordinary new record from the New York band. You might even be reaching saturation, much like with Charli XCX’s BRAT last year. But if you haven’t given Getting Killed the time it deserves, which is a pretty perfect 45 minutes and 35 seconds, then please do. And please be absolutely blown away.

Speaking personally, I was intrigued by the band’s early singles back in 2021, Disco and Low Era from their post-punk–inspired debut LP Projector (2021), but something about that record didn’t grab me quite as much. I’m figuring this was due to simply too many bands diggin’ the post-punk vibe at the time, and to be honest doing it slightly better. Fast forward to December 2024, and lead singer and songwriter Cameron Winter quietly drops his solo album Heavy Metal, which is nothing short of a revelation, an instant-classic singer-songwriter record. Heavy Metal (also well worth your money) is a sublime pairing of postmodern stylings with keen appreciation for the great songwriters of the past, but also the work of an artist unafraid to rip it all up and start again. Enjoying Heavy Metal so much  sent me back to Geese’s second album, 3D Country (2023), a warped, psychedelic country-rock record that proved these New Yorkers had way too many ideas to be just another post-punk revival band.

Then, after nine months of digesting those two records, and the gestation and anticipation of another, Winter returns with his band and primary concern, and Getting Killed is released, or rather unleashed, upon us. And believe it! Getting Killed is one of the finest rock albums from a “new” band in an absolute AGE. A generation, perhaps. It deserves its place among those albums that put a boot up the backside of everything else going on. And while it may not have the opportunity to match the overall cultural impact of The Doors, Highway 61 Revisited, VU & Nico, Never Mind the Bollocks, Nevermind, Is This It, etc.,  generationally, it belongs in their legion. Musically, the performances on Getting Killed are out of this world – great. The studied nonchalance with which they careen at will, the looseness and brevity to the guitar playing, the drummer… my god, THE DRUMMER.

And of course, above all this beautiful, furious noise is Winter’s unmistakable howl, croon and mumble, an instrument unto itself that hits somewhere between Thom Yorke, Rufus Wainwright, Nick Cave, Bob Dylan, Julian Casablancas, and maybe even Jim and Van Morrison. While the instrumental talent on display here is, in its varied, eclectic nature, absolutely killer throughout, it is frequently Winter’s vocal that takes Getting Killed to another place, beyond what could generally be considered merely a good record. Winter’s lyrical and vocal performance is formidable, intense, unpredictable, shocking, humorous, and fragile, sometimes it is all of these things at once. There are so many lyrical gems at play across the eleven tracks that we’d be here all day should I list them all but here are a few of some favs:

• Get in asshole, let’s drive / There’s a bomb in my car! (Trinidad)
• I’ll repeat what I Say / But I’ll never explain (Husbands)
• I can’t even taste my own tears / They fall into an even sadder bastard’s eyes (Getting Killed)
• All people stop smiling / Once they get what they’ve been begging for (100 Horses)
• I’ve got half a mind / To pay for the lobotomy (Half Real)
• If you want me to pay my taxes / You’d better come over with a crucifix / You’re gonna have to nail me down (Taxes)
• Doctor! Heal yourself (Taxes)
• Like Joshua kick-kick-kicked the king out of Jericho / I’m about to kick your ass up and down this street (Long Island City Here I Come)

Getting Killed is cathartic, irreverent, exciting, and incendiary. While you can certainly point to influences, it offers a pretty unique take on indie-rock. There are wild, psychedelic-rock freak-outs on the superb opener Trinidad, featuring screams from JPEGMAFIA, the vivid, rollicking chaos and suitably galloping groove of 100 Horses, and the brutal pummel of Bow Down. On the flip side of this glorious cacophony is the touching, solid-gold indie pop of Cobra, Half Real, and the magnificent, swooning Au Pays Du Cocaine. Elsewhere you’ll find the funk-inspired grooves of Islands of Men, the melancholic, gospel-tinged singalong Husbands, and the classic-rock swagger of the outrageously brilliant Taxes.

It all culminates in the propulsive, wild ride of closing track Long Island City Here I Come, which is a bit like the skyward rush of the VU’s Heroin, if it was penned by mid-60s Dylan, sung by 1990s Nick Cave and had a mid-section culled from the Stone Roses. Every track is an utter delight, a highlight in its own little, or massive, way. Really. Each one is delivered with confidence, belief, and a genuine joy of making and recording. Special commendation must go to producer Kenny Beats who, along with the vision of the band, has captured and structured this total riot into an absolute masterpiece.

Getting Killed is pure artistry, a 10-out-of-10, essential rock record, a generation-defining statement.

Geese – Getting Killed is available on Semi-Transparent Violet Vinyl LP / Clear Vinyl LP / CD