Review Score:

A

September 30 / 2025 –

There’s a risk that comes with the anticipation of an album, especially when it comes to Geese, a band I discovered shortly after the release of their breakthrough sophomore project with no preconceived notions of their sound. I was immediately blown away, and I continued to find new things to love about 3D Country in the months, and now years, that followed. Lead vocalist Cameron Winter’s solo debut was also quite striking. It grew on me even more with time, and it has become abundantly clear that, for my money, Winter and Geese are among the most exciting musicians working today.

Unfortunately, music journalism seems determined to convince you of that as well. Search the band online and you’ll find a dozen articles with hyperbolic headlines written for SEO about how Geese are the next Beatles or something to that effect. So even you, perhaps with ears not yet kissed by the honks and hoots of Geese, may enter the listening experience with some idea of what to expect.

Truth be told, there may be no other new album in my lifetime that I anticipated more than this Geese project. So when, on first listen, it didn’t immediately hit me over the head with the same burst of energy as their previous record, I was unsure how to feel. But I pressed on, and now, days removed from its release, it has clicked for me.

Geese’s third studio album is undoubtedly the work of a unique band. Yes, there are plenty of hyperbolic articles written about the group and its frontman, but that is for good reason. Geese really are special.

The “killing” in question on Getting Killed is a self-reflection on how Cameron Winter, and by extension many of us living in the 21st century, must balance our own first-world problems with the never-ending suffering of millions across the globe (see also “First World Warrior” from the band’s debut). On the second verse of “Getting Killed,” Winter sings, “I can’t even taste my own tears / They fall into an even sadder bastard’s eyes” and later, “I’m getting killed by a pretty good life.”

The irreverent lyricism, the almost drunken vocal style, and the musical chemistry of it all gradually wormed their way into my brain over time. But elements of this project, particularly on the production side, surprised me. Kenny Beats, a producer I never would have thought to pair with Geese, brings out the best in the band’s sloppy composure. The tasteful inclusion and balance of horns, strings, and backing vocals go a long way as well.

It almost goes without saying, but Winter’s vocals are once again a highlight. There’s something so satisfying about the way he hits the “b” in “baby” on “Cobra,” a personal standout for me. One thing this album shares with 3D Country is that I often find myself humming the lead guitar melody over the vocal melody. That’s just as true of “Cobra” and “Taxes” as it was of “Cowboy Nudes” and “Gravity Blues.”

“Taxes,” the lead single, has one of the biggest musical climaxes on the entire album, save for maybe when “Trinidad” goes full throttle. Lyrically, though, it’s “Long Island City Here I Come” where the band really shines as a unit. While Winter croons, “I knew a man / big and fat, born without arms or legs / born to jump in the air and clap” and “you can either leave or you can stop playing that cowbell with your gun,” Dominic DiGesu is plowing forward on bass and Max Bassin is going wild on percussion. If you think it’s impressive on the studio recording, I encourage you to watch him play live. I can’t say I’ve ever seen such energy from a drummer (shoutout to Thomas Hedlund of Phoenix, though).

Emily Green’s work on guitar is brilliant. Imagine the kind of guitarist you’d have to be for the guitar to be the most memorable part of a song that has Cameron Winter on vocals. The band will likely never get the full credit they deserve in a broader sense, but this project is made a hundred times more effective and engaging because of them.

Getting Killed is not 3D Country. It doesn’t sound the same and it doesn’t feel the same, and that’s not a bad thing. Getting Killed stands on its own, while also helping me realize just how special 3D Country is. As for where Geese fly after this, I really can’t say. There’s a lot of noise surrounding the band right now, and I can’t imagine this album will dampen that at all. But so long as they continue to embrace the various elements that make them one of the most engaging rock acts working today, they’re going to be just fine.

Review Score:

A

Gubb wrote this review. You can’t get mad at Gubb.