Geese is a collective of young Brooklyn-based friends and musicians who have been playing together for a few years, rushing home from high school to practice in their basement as frequently as they could. That unity and dedication goes some way to explaining how they caught the attention of Partisan Records, who have signed the band and released their debut single “Disco”. Of the song, the band say:
“‘Disco’ was our first big step forward as a band. It’s a very urgent and restless song, which was indicative of all our headspaces at the time. ‘Disco’ has a lot of organized chaos at its core; the music, the lyrics, and even the way we recorded it all speak to a sort of manic energy we were all working through. It’s a song that sounds like it’s perpetually on the verge of collapse–and yet it always manages to keep itself together. There’s a bit of chaos in all of our songs, or a sense that they could explode at any moment. ‘Disco’ represents that the most for us: the little bit of chaos each of us carry and bring to our music.”
Geese show their ragged yet robust tightness in spades across the nearly-seven-minute single, which shows off several different gears with aplomb and personality. Initially, it builds quickly from an enlivening thud to a minor whirlwind of guitars and drums, encircling the singer as he strives to get on with his life. Then, just like that, they shift gears into a whimsical jangle pop song, though our protagonist is still drifting through life in a daze; “I can smell your perfume / but I can’t hear your voice.” This confusion comes to a head as Geese dive headlong into a renewed whirlpool of playing, shuttling forwards on their last fumes of energy, light trills of melody bouncing off the weatherbeaten voice in a drained but revitalising indie-punk jam for the final minutes – until they finally, understandably and deservedly, collapse.
Listen to “Disco” below or on streaming services.
Geese should have a debut album arriving later in the year through Partisan / Play It Again Sam. For now you can find them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
