Goose embraces musical contradictions on the band’s new single, “Arrow”. The song fluctuates between a funky afrobeat groove and a delicate piano interlude. It will appear on the band’s forthcoming album, Dripfield, due out June 24th.

Accompanied by a video of vintage-looking beach scenes with crashing waves and bright-eyed surfers, “Arrow” highlights Goose’s broad range of influences and musical versatility. The song opens with a funky guitar groove reminiscent of ’70s African funk. Horns enter with a couple blaring hits before giving way to a Fela Kuti-esque afrobeat feel. Drummer Ben Atkind complements the song’s vintage funk vibe with an intricate drum groove in the style of master drummer Tony Allen.

The song’s groovy opening is paired with nostalgic scenes of the surf, sand, and sun, but when the song breaks down to just piano and vocals, viewers are transported to a different world under the ocean surface. Underwater shots of rising bubbles and floating jellyfish match the atmospheric keyboard and piano, which complement the beautiful and emotionally raw singing of guitarist Rick Mitarotonda.

Atkind’s snare drum gradually leads the band out of the soulful interlude and back to an African dance club vibe as the video returns to the terrestrial plane. The same pattern is repeated when the song dips back into the sea for a second underwater breakdown.

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Goose debuted “Arrow” at Goosemas 2019, but the song has gone through changes since then. “‘Arrow’ has always been a puzzle for us,” multi-instrumentalist Peter Anspach shared. “It took us months of messing with the arrangement to finally dial it in. And then in classic ‘Arrow’ form, once we hit the studio, it changed it again. The resulting version was created the day we recorded it and was one of most exciting days for us all.”

Composed by Rick Mitarotonda, the track features Stuart Bogie on saxophone. Listeners can also hear some ambiguous percussion sounds on the opening hits.

“[We] all took pots and pans from the kitchen and just dropped them on the ground of the studio to create a wilder, more outrageous impact,” Peter Anspach recounted.

“Arrow” will be featured on Goose’s Dripfield alongside previously released singles “Hungersite”, “Dripfield”, and “Borne”. Watch the video for “Arrow” below and stay tuned for the release of Dripfield on June 24th. For more information and to view Goose’s upcoming tour dates, visit the band’s website.

Goose – “Arrow”