Album Review - BIG MODERN! by Goose
69 Minutes of FACE!
Goose put out their sixth studio album BIG MODERN! via No Coincidence Records today, following up 2025’s Everything Must Go and Chain Yer Dragon with a release that marks the birth of a new era and sound for the band – one that we’ve already seen germinate over the past few months of shows.
Both of 2025’s albums were produced over several years and span a tumultuous and transitional period in the band’s lineup – resulting in some of the tracks feeling more disconnected from each other and the narrative arcs of the records not being as cohesive. BIG MODERN!, on the other hand, has a clear intention and theme behind it and boasts an incredible amount of earworms, hooks, and creative new songs that will no doubt make a great step to the live stage over their busy 2026 touring season.
Inspired by the maximalist and busy nature of modern society, BIG MODERN! falls into a loud and very 80s-inspired sound for much of the record, utilizing heavy synths and pounding drums in an evocation of artists like Peter Gabriel, Huey Lewis, Bruce Springsteen, and more throughout. The track list is made up of eight songs and seven parenthetical instrumental jam sections or compositions – something we last saw on 2021’s Shenanigans Nite Club as a way to more readily consume single-length tracks for radio.
In my opinion, BIG MODERN! rivals Chain Yer Dragon for the title of Goose’s best studio output to date, staying very true to the band’s sound and nailing the use of studio overdubs and production in a way that didn’t feel too overbearing or washed-out like Everything Must Go did at times. Producer D. James Goodwin seems to have found the balance with the band between honing their signature sound and pushing the boundaries of what they’re capable of doing in the studio without sacrificing the former.
Read on for a track-by-track breakdown of Big Modern!, and you can also listen to us discuss the whole album on the latest episode of Always Almost There, available now wherever you get your podcasts!
After the brief spacey prelude of “(begin),” the title track roars in – as my favourite Goose song since its debut in 2024, “Big Modern!” was something I was a little bit worried about translating into a studio setting. As we’ve heard with the versions so far in 2026, there are some new flourishes and minor tweaks that were added in the studio, most notably Peter Anspach’s use of a punchy Yamaha CP70 tone which fits extremely well in this song. The song otherwise stays pretty true to its live arrangement, with a nice dynamic add of acoustic vs heavily effected electric instruments in the compositional part before the metal-inspired breakdown. Here’s where the maximalist approach works!
Without more fanfare or beating around the bush, our first brand-new track is next with “Savenger,” a song that immediately was a winner for me on first listen. Much like “Good2B” (to come later), the song kicks off with a blast of delay-heavy drums and synthesizer, a hallmark of that 80s sound. Rick Mitarotonda and Matt Campbell’s songwriting marks another triumph with the incredible earworm of the chorus, something crowds will be belting out by the end of the summer.
Anspach once again utilizes the CP tone amid the heavy blasts of synth, matching the percussion-heavy nature before Mitarotonda blasts off with a searing guitar solo. This distinctive 80s vibe feels like it could be set to a wide shot of LA at the beginning of a Beverly Hills Cop movie – and while some may see that as a departure from the decidedly more modern Goose sound, I see it as the opposite. That sound and those themes have always been pretty present in their songs and jams, and it’s cool to see them lean in here.
“(you are here)” quickly calms things down from “Savenger,” dialing back into a more grounded sound amid strokes of acoustic guitar. This gentle composition features more amazing vocals from Mitarotonda in a beautiful indie-rock tone – evoking Bon Iver, who has long been one of the guitarist’s biggest influences. If the second part of “Savenger” wasn’t cool enough already, we move into “((savengersspell)),” a serene instrumental composition that reveals another side of Mitarotonda’s influence – a combination of Trey Anastasio and John Scofield.
Ellis’ smoothly rolling drums mesh beautifully with the keys and Trevor Weekz’ bass on this track as Mitarotonda floats overtop, evoking a slow dance with almost featherlight touches. It carries an emotional weight too, reminding me of some of the high points of Anastasio’s 2019 Ghosts of the Forest album as Anspach lays into somewhat of a Parcels vibe with his choice of low-key synth texture. Becoming busier toward the end, the song crests like a wave and fades beautifully, setting the stage for the high-energy assault of the next couple of songs.
When “Good2B” was released alongside the album’s announcement in early March, it took me a few listens to be sold on it. Without the context of the rest of the record, it was certainly a bold choice to lead off that paid off as it quickly established itself as one of the band’s go-to jam vehicles across Spring Tour and the recent European run. There was also no way I wasn’t going to love it eventually, as Mitarotonda’s guitar riff has burrowed its way into my brain so far that I’ve found myself humming it at random moments for the past three months. Weekz shines on the studio production here with a crystal-clear tone, driving the disco-fied tune alongside Ellis’ sharp pocket.
“MEDIA” marks Ellis’ songwriting contribution to the album and might be the biggest production triumph here, Goodwin utilizing a ton of overdubs and effects to really convey the message of the song and overall album here. Mitarotonda’s frenzied solo, bolstered by some crazy reverse and stuttering effects, adds colour over the rock-steady pocket and Anspach’s various synth and sequencer loops – something we’re very familiar with in the live setting now. Too bad they couldn’t put a 15-minute Goontz jam on the album!
Likely the most controversial track on BIG MODERN! will be “Torero.” Already sparking conversation since its revival last month at Viva El Gonzo, this once fan-favourite track from its four plays in 2025 has been met with divided opinions since the release of its revamped 80s-inspired arrangement for the album. When I first heard the new version, I was a bit torn – if debuted like this, I think I’d be all in on loving it. However, I was such a big fan of last year’s live versions that I couldn’t help but miss the vibe of that. After now seeing the album arrangement live in Cabo and Amsterdam, I’m sold – especially since the latter one has pointed to some serious jam potential.
On BIG MODERN!, this is the most Peter Gabriel-inspired tune to be seen with massive crashing drums and spaced-out verses. One thing not included in the single release of this song was the “(faena)” composed instrumental portion and jam, though we had heard it in the previous live performances. With some slight tweaks, the bullfighter musicality retains its intensity with even a little more punch and weight to it – translating very well to the studio.
Anspach’s “POP” takes us right back into 80s dance land with another irresistible hook – a big talent of his. Unassumingly placed between two fan favourite live staples on the album, this song is easily one of my favourites here with its infectious energy and amazing vocal harmonies with Mitarotonda’s contribution. The heavy ascending composed line toward the end is signature Anspach, evoking “Time to Flee” and “Iguana Song,” and I cannot wait to hear this song “POP” off in arenas and amphitheatres this summer. Danger: you might find yourself humming “pop pop pop pop” at random times throughout your day after listening.
“SALT” offers the album’s biggest piece of improvisation, packing in the fiery live energy of this staple well. Coming off a weird few months of inactivity after its debut in April 2024, “SALT” has been a fantastic part of the regular rotation at shows for the last year and a half (though it still hasn’t broken through into true big improv on more than a handful of occasions). The baffling change for the album, to me, we’ve already heard – the lyrical change in the chorus/bridge section. The original “salt in the air/wind in your hair” is such an amazing and catchy line, while the new one feels a little bit harder to sing along to. This being my biggest gripe about Big Modern! feels pretty great, though!
As the jam section opens up, it becomes decidedly un-“SALT”-like by way of a serene major-key exploration. This song usually sticks to high-octane shreddy motifs when performed live, and this is a really nice departure from the norm thanks to exemplary piano work from Anspach. Weekz also dials in some beautiful melodic play over Ellis’ light ride cymbal work, cultivating a lush soundscape. The benefit of the studio is utilized with some minor overdubs, a low-key synth pad bolstering things along with some organ through the jam. Mitarotonda even subtly hints at “Mountain Jam” as the peak grows closer, continuing in that fresh, uplifting major mode before tearing back into the song proper and conclusion.
A very cool and haunting outro – still within “SALT” – leads into “(again),” an unassuming instrumental that acts as an intro to the next track. This one clearly highlights another one of Mitarotonda’s influences, Dave Matthews, in its circular acoustic guitar melody. Things take a turn from there pretty quickly, however, as we travel into the land of tension and unease thanks to Ellis’ pounding drums, some off-kilter piano, and a rising wave of strings, one of the only appearances of other musicians on the album.
Building into the beginning of “Good Times // End Times,” you’re immediately hit with a blast of marching beat and synth like it’s Bruce Springsteen, though that quickly gives way to the Goose sound as they blend that classic rock-ish vibe with contemporary indie. As “(again)” was a hint to the nature of this song, the upbeat verse flips on its head for a melancholy chorus, including Mitarotonda reciting a series of ones and zeroes to communicate in binary, calling back to the main narrative of the album and its commentary on the maximalism of modern society. This is another songwriting triumph and a great hook, Ellis’ snare taps making you feel like time is running out before jumping into “((nocturne)).”
The strings return and so does the tension, giving us a brief quieter section before the band slams their foot on the gas with some rocking power chord action very similar to the intro of “Factory Fiction.” Mitarotonda lets loose some crazy distorted rock soloing before the jam began in a groove not unlike “Iguana Song,” leading to some really cool conversational improv. Mitarotonda leaned into his jazz side while Anspach swirled around him on piano, Ellis and Weekz offering a similar contrast with busy and anchored play from each respective one. Peaking from there, Mitarotonda’s doubled lead lines really punch through before another round of “Factory”-esque riffing to return us to the “Good Times // End Times” chorus in a really cool move to tie things up.
The final track of the album, “(((postplace))),” acts as a sort of “We Bid You Goodnight,” a serene and lush lullaby with some echoes of Mitarotonda vocals swirling around. Part of the recording for the lead vocal track feels like it was recorded in a more open room than a simple isolation booth, giving the mellow track the quality of an acoustic performance in a living room on a rainy day. A fantastic conclusion that somehow wraps the arc of BIG MODERN! perfectly while being completely antithetical to its main theme of 80s dance music.
Goose’s sixth album marks a decisive point for this era of the band – Ellis’ first record where he’s on every track, their first release since Dripfield to have been recorded and released (presumably) as planned when they first entered the studio, and their first album to contain mostly new material EVER. Mitarotonda and Campbell’s songwriting continues to bear amazing fruit while Anspach and Ellis both make strong contributions to BIG MODERN! – I truly don’t feel as though there’s a weak spot to be found in this 69-minute release.
In both my reviews of Everything Must Go and Chain Your Dragon last year, I talked about how jam band studio albums will rarely live up to the live versions of the songs and will fade from the conversation relatively quickly. As Goose takes another swing at the coveted mainstream crossover appeal with BIG MODERN!!, I am curious to see if any of these songs will break through – but I am pretty certain that fans of the band both new and old will find a lot to love about this crop of new songs, both recorded and in future live versions.
Catch Goose on tour starting tomorrow night in Toronto. Livestreams for all dates through the Fourth of July are available exclusively to nugs subscribers.
