One thing is for sure if nothing else – ViennaCC does things his way, consequences be damned. His singles are like nothing else you’ll hear in pop music today and the newest track “When the Cats Come Out” is no different. I appreciate the rambunctious and uncompromising attack he summons for the single. It’s dance-pop, without a doubt, but it crackles with a distinctive personality that transcends genres and borders alike.
The instrumentation, electronic in nature, has a raw in your face quality. His vocals sound like you’ve gripped a live wire. The synthesizers and keyboards present throughout “When the Cats Come Out” are big and full of brio underlining ViennaCC’s core philosophy that more is more, rather than less is more. He isn’t hesitant about crowding listeners and engaging them on an intensely physical level.
He’s clearly European, it’s obvious listening to his vocals, but ViennaCC has a tight and effective grasp on English delivery. His vocals throughout much of “When the Cats Come Out” have an almost unhinged, maniacal tone, but listeners can lean back and appraise its effect as artful above all else.
The words do an excellent job of balancing themselves between alternative interpretations. You can take this song as a literal depiction of what cats do at night, or you can delve a little deeper and, as the song’s press materials suggest, hear it as about women rather than felines. It’s enormously clever without ever sounding too cute for its own good.
It’s a restless, turbulent performance despite its relatively short length and mid-tempo pace. The production likewise keeps a good balance between the vocals and music that affords listeners little to no breathing room. Framed in such a way, it isn’t difficult to imagine hearing this song pumping through club speakers and getting people to move. It practically begs listeners to connect their bodies with the music.
ViennaCC writes the lyrics in a conversational style. ViennaCC understands how to best tailor the words in a manner suitable for the musical arrangement and the percussive quality of his choices further enhances the performance. He rips through each line with undeniable relish that listeners will latch onto with their first listen.
I’m a big fan of how well he brings this package together. There’s a definite DIY feel to the song’s sound, for sure, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t professional. It doesn’t sound like cookie-cutter assembly line produced dance pop, no, but it has a cohesive sound and a unified plan of attack that only the least attentive listeners will fail to take note of.
ViennaCC’s list of musical accomplishments continues to grow. He hasn’t amassed a lengthy discography yet, but each new release builds on its predecessors and pushes the European singer/songwriter and sonic auteur towards a lasting legacy capable of influencing similar artists to come. It’s electrifying pop music with substance and relentlessly entertaining to boot. If you like a good time and physically stimulating music, you can’t do much better than ViennaCC’s “When the Cats Come Out”.
Chadwick Easton