Odd-Sounding Geese: Lyricism to a Fault in ‘Getting Killed’

Coming off his late 2024 solo debut “Heavy Metal,” it was up in the air whether Geese frontman, lyricist and composer Cameron Winter would stick with his high school band or fly solo. Honking on the group’s Sept. 26 release, “Getting Killed,” it’s safe to say he’s returned to the flock.

The eccentric rock band’s new album leans heavily — even to a fault — on Winter’s intricate metaphorical lyrics criticizing societal decay. This is on brand for Geese, who are known for pushing the limits of modern rock through their absurd lyrics, untamed sound and refusal to obey conventional structures of the genre. 

Queue “Getting Killed” — a balance of lyrical brilliance and musical chaos.

The album opens with “Trinidad,” a track that sounds like it’s going to explode as its ascending baseline and squelching guitar interjections weave in and out of one another, climaxing with jarring metaphors of rebellion. 

“When the lights turn red I’m driving away / There’s a bomb in my car / There’s a bomb in my car,” Winter sings.

The next track, “Cobra,” contrasts the opener with a light, playful tone. Although it may seem like a simple tune, its brilliance arrives in Winter’s use of the cobra as a metaphor for destructive cycles of behavior. 

The title track, “Getting Killed,” is dripping in themes of loneliness and misery.

“My love takes a long time / Longer than a lover can survive / Morning walk me out of here with no shoes on / And one foot doesn’t want to stay alive,” Winter sings.

The track closes as Winter repeats, “I’m getting killed by a pretty good life” over a Radiohead-esque backing track of mixed instruments. 

Winter continues his commentary on society in “100 Horses,” an unconventional, groovy tune exploring the dichotomy of war and pleasure through ridiculous metaphors. 

“All the horses must go dancing / There is only dance music in times of war,” Winter sings. 

“Half real” is a melancholy ode to the complexity of love, arguing it’d be easier to forget the best moments than be stuck with the memory of what went wrong. 

“I’ve got half a mind / To just pay for the lobotomy / And tell ‘em, Get rid of the bad times / And get rid of the good times too / I’ve got no more thinking to do” Winter sings.

The penultimate track, “Taxes,” laments the misery of modern life and the day-to-day hardships of living in a fast-paced tune filled with hyperbolic metaphors.

The album closes with “Long Island City Here I Come,” a song steeped in allusions to famous deaths, including that of Buddy Holly, Charlamagne and Joan of Arc.

“Oh Charles, tell me about the end / You were there the day the music died, and / I’ll be there the day it dies again” Winter sings, alluding to Charles “Buddy” Holly and the infamous “Day the Music Died.” 

Both a strength and a weakness of the album, Winter proves he isn’t afraid to take risks, even if he sometimes strays into the absurd.

“Getting Killed” is undeniably meaningful but can leave the listener drowning in metaphors. The melodies’ commercial appeal often takes a backseat, acting more as a backdrop for Winter’s words than an engaging sound experience.

Still, there’s no denying Geese’s originality. “Getting Killed” is jagged and endlessly inventive. Whether it leaves you intrigued or ruffles your feathers, you won’t leave indifferent. 

“Getting Killed” is streaming on all platforms.