BIG MODERN!

The Artist

Goose is a Connecticut-formed quintet that emerged in the late 2010s as one of the most talked-about acts in the modern jam scene, drawing comparisons to Phish and the Grateful Dead while carving out a sleeker, more indie-pop-leaning identity of their own. Fronted by guitarist and vocalist Rick Mitarotonda, the band built its reputation through marathon live shows, patient improvisational arcs, and a devoted online fan community that trades soundboards like currency. Their studio output has often been described as a softer, more contemplative counterpart to their exploratory concerts. After a period of lineup shifts and heavy touring, BIG MODERN! arrives as a bolder statement, leaning into studio ambition rather than trying to recreate the stage. It represents a band consciously pushing beyond the jam-band label into something more textured and produced.

The Album

BIG MODERN! finds Goose expanding their sonic palette with a heavier emphasis on studio craft, layered production, and interstitial pieces that tie the record together as a full-length experience rather than a collection of jam vehicles. The tracklist is threaded with parenthetical interludes like "(you are here)", "((savengersspell))", "(faena)", "(again)", "((nocturne))", and "(((postplace)))", suggesting a deliberate conceptual architecture. The album balances longer song statements like "Good Times // End Times" with tighter pop-forward cuts, hinting at a band trying to reconcile their improvisational instincts with concise songwriting. Thematically, the record touches on modernity, presence, and dislocation, framed by playful punctuation and typography choices. It stands as one of their most produced and deliberately sequenced releases to date.

Listen For

The parenthetical interlude structure. Notice how tracks like "(you are here)", "((savengersspell))", and "(((postplace)))" use nested parentheses that visually deepen as the album progresses, and listen for whether the music mirrors that inward spiral.

Studio polish versus jam-band DNA. Pay attention to how "MEDIA" and "POP" lean into cleaner, tighter arrangements compared to the more expansive stretches of "Good Times // End Times".

Rick Mitarotonda's vocal placement. Listen for how his voice sits in the mix, whether pushed forward, buried in reverb, or layered with harmonies across "SALT" and "Torero".

Sequencing as a full listen. Track how the interludes bridge the proper songs, especially the flow from "SALT" into "(again)" into "Good Times // End Times".

Guitar tone shifts. Notice how the guitar voice changes between the bright, poppy moments and the darker, more atmospheric passages, particularly across "Big Modern!" and "((nocturne))".