Geese wants to score your life—even your planet. They aim to be the soundtrack to the nebulous nature of life; constantly shifting and changing in intangible ways. Their music is post-rock, but does without the swelling guitar crescendos of Explosions in the Sky or the icy soundscapes of Sigur Ros. Geese use cacophonic noise with fluttering percussion, flickering guitar strings, and drenched baroque arrangements. The vocals are sparse but purposeful, ethereal and fleeting. The band pulls off a unique balance in their music by offering the listener a totally encompassing experience, in the vein of post-rock aesthetics, while engaging the listener actively and refusing to let the music be a passive absorbed. Geese doesn’t allow you to lay back on your bed and close your eyes, not without being challenged by prodding, yet pleasant, noises. They don’t antagonize the listener with harsh sounds, but they do consciously energize gentle sounds with heavy repetition and aggressive production.

Geese, being an EP, is somewhat unconventional in structure. The first three songs are Geese by themselves. The next three songs are remixes of the original songs, including mixes by Hot Chip and Adem. The remixes are very well done, using enough of the original elements to keep each song’s mood intact, but rearranging them so they become their own songs and not just retreads. The remix to “Fog Sea” is given an excellent treatment by Back Ted-N-Ted, maintaining the vocal melody of the original, but clearing some space for lingering ambience. As a result, the song takes on a haunting, dream-like element and stands as a worthy counterpart to the original. “Tundra Bean Remix,” by Adem, keeps the original track’s brooding temperament, but throws in a full vocal performance. It barely resembles the original, but mixes in a dynamic that gives Geese a real shot in the arm. “Spool” is haunting and apocalyptic with its cackle of noises and descending rhythms. Hot Chip’s remix doesn’t let up the sinister, unraveling feeling, but, this being Hot Chip, it becomes a dance apocalypto.

Geese carves a clear niche for the band with its dark, wispy, and frequently bizarre sound. The EP feels wordly, spacious, and almost omniscient, but its sinister tone makes the songs feel claustrophobic, like the walls are closing in around you as you listen. It’s an unbelievable contrast. The music can alternately sound as though you’re looking out from on high and observing miles and miles of beautiful wilderness, or like you’re trapped in a room with no doors. For its quality, uniqueness, and full gamut of emotions, Geese is something to hear.

Track List:
1. Fog Sea
2. Tundra Bean
3. Spool
4. Fog Sea (Back Ted-N-Ted Remix)
5. Tundra Bean (Adem Remix)
6. Spool (Hot Chip Remix)