Getting Killed
by Geese

From MadhattanJack 04/14/2026 02:06 | #313916

It's a pretty good 2000's-style indie rock album, though some of the songs sort of get away from them control-wise, and not always in a good way. Personally, I think Cameron Winter's voice sounds a lot like Rufus Wainwright's, only it's deeper and a bit less nasal. Also, Wainwright has more of a "vague hint" of a southern drawl, whereas Winter's drawl is more pronounced. The only problem with this is that I don't really like Rufus Wainwright's voice either.

I both understand the hype for this album and don't personally subscribe to the thinking that this is the album of the year of 2025. It's a great post rock album, but I think people's craving for good rock has got the better of them in this case.

Can't decide if this is just a pale imitation of Radiohead and Thom Yorke or something genuinely worthwhile and interesting. Also can't decide if the singer wants to be Thom or Mick Jagger. It's one thing to be as challenging as Radiohead are post-The Bends, it's another thing to do it in a way that still appeals and shows genuine craft, rather than just saying "let's put some off beat drums here, that will challenge people". The one thing you can say is that there is no way they haven't put some thought process into it, which is all too rare right now.

The rise and rise of Geese was definitely one of the most fun things to happen in 2025, even if it wasn't quite as unexpected as Cameron Winter's own explosion in popularity right at the end of the year before. 'Getting Killed' goes way beyond the band's previous efforts, sounding more original than 'Projector' and balancing melody and experimentalism better than '3D Country', which were both already solid records. There's a lot to like here, the songwriting is strangely catchy, lyrics have emotional weight without seeming like they're trying too hard, but the real triumph is how Winter's vocals are showcased. He's sounded decent across previous releases and had notably improved by 'Heavy Metal', with this record we're getting a clearer sense of his range, calling to mind artists like Justin Vernon or Anohni at different turns. Also, whilst not going for the gravelly quality of Tom Waits, his vocals remind me more of Tom Waits than anyone else. The result is a record with twists and turns, that can go from the chaos of 'Trinidad' to the sweeter melody of 'Cobra' or from the relaxed feel of 'Au Pays du Cocaine' to the infectious groove of 'Bow Down'.

Inevitably with something this varied there'll be tracks or sections that you like more than others and for me it's the second half where things really come into their own. The final three tracks stand out especially, 'Bow Down', while a bit simpler in its composition has one of the most dynamic vocal performances, going from near spoken word to strained, drawn out notes, a really fun instrumental break caps it off. 'Taxes' just builds and builds as the emotion of the whole things spills over with the line "I will break my own heart from now on". Finally, 'Long Island City Here I Come' carries even more momentum as almost every instrument becomes dedicated to rhythm letting another spotless vocal performance filled with drama and energy take off. Its a perfect place to end an album that makes you wonder what's next.

From Strangel 01/20/2026 00:45 | #312713

😬

I'm thinking that the previous poster, strangel, perhaps mistakenly think they write for Cracked, or the onion, given their sorry attempt at a joke, or maybe that bea is their personal diary/column.
Talking about geese being an "innovation", so were the autotune, crunkcore, and mumble rap, as for it being able to supposedly "move masses" that seems hard to believe, when their album barely cracked the billboard top 100 (peaked at 96) and aren't even in the top 1500 artists on spotify, a more accurate assessment, would tell that their popularity seems rather limited to a pool of chronically online "music nerds" rather than any masses, and to whoever they can buy to hype their albums on music rating sites.

From Strangel 01/02/2026 06:57 | #312413

I’m thinking that the previous poster, Andras, perhaps thinks they are mistakenly a Pitchfork music critic and this is a Tool album.

I’m a fan of music that steps outside expected rock sounds and still manages to engage the masses in doing so. Geese are proving to be innovative while also tapping into the spirit of past rock legends. His voice at times reminds me of Jagger, other times it’s Neil Young, and more obscurely, I’m hearing similarities with Alec Ounsworth of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Really solid and interesting album to sink your teeth into..

What an awful album, this is like if a band tried to copy bcnr and radiohead, but ended up sounding like a worse version of tropical fuck storm; no riffs, or good melodies, grating/bored voice, this isn't the "salvation of rock" but a nepo baby band (which employs an online army of paid shills to promote this , along with their shows, around the internet) a blemish on rock history, if this awful thing is the "rock aoty" then rock is beyond dead, its already rotting.

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From HoldenM 10/10/2025 17:17 | #311303

Love this strategy of having 12 songs that are all good and interesting, performances that are tight and dynamic, and production that's organic and warm and punchy. More artists should try this because it might make their music good.