“Sorry, Earth” isn’t a destitute plug for environmental action — it’s the exuberant release from local rockers Wild Wild Geese. It’s Dinosaur Jr. meets the Triangle music scene, an innovative blend generating visionary music ingrained in distortion and anguish.
Clocking in at a mere 38 minutes, “Sorry, Earth” is a caravan through loneliness, pain and confusion. The bleak lyrics are veiled by variant harmonies and rhythmic structures that keep the ear anxious for Wild Wild Geese’s next eccentric move.
The band’s use of heavily distorted guitar is the sole indicator of a punk pedigree. Hailing from Americans in France and Spider Bags among others, the members of Wild Wild Geese have teamed up to create an album that pools the strengths of their respective pasts.
“Stuck Inside” is a riff nirvana, produced via the dual-guitars and vocals of Rob Ruin and Nathan Toben. The catchiest and most fleshed-out song on the album, it ebbs and flows tamely until an escalation in intensity during the last 30 seconds, a necessary punk element.
Guitar heroics are the meat of “Chainsaw,” whereas droning vocals on “Down the Drain” supersede the poised instrumentals. These contrasts in sound exhibit the creative power the group possesses.
Wild Wild Geese instantly create beats that prompt toe-tapping and head-knocking, no matter the song or setting. The band has contrived a set of tunes that are nothing short of charismatic.
The band’s punk foundation has a few loose screws, but that doesn’t don’t demerit Wild Wild Geese’s debut full-length. “Sorry, Earth” sets the bar high, but these geese have the potential to fly even higher.
