“When the Cats Come Out” from Vienna, Austria’s ViennaCC is the new pop confection from one of the indie music world’s most one of a kind talents. He’s carved out an unique niche in the modern musical landscape without compromising his distinctive melodic vision and traffics in unusual subject matter that he nevertheless makes palatable for a wide audience. “When the Cats Come Out” may be taken at face value as being about felines cavorting after the sun goes down, but you can also take it as a song about what adventures women indulge themselves in during the evening hours. Regardless of how you interpret the song, it’s a thoroughly entertaining musical experience that should net ViennaCC a bevy of new fans and reassure his longtime admirers that he’s working at a high level with no signs of slowing down.
The pressing urgency of this song is remarkable given its mid-tempo pace. ViennaCC and his musical imagination sound positively energized as he tears through the lyrical content with a cawing, insolent voice. Post-production effects do little to dilute the tune and, instead, accentuate the attitude present throughout this song every step of the way. He writes the lyrics in a way that leaves them open to the listener’s interpretation and this sharp wit imposes a level of excellence on the words that we don’t typically hear from dance numbers.
The arrangement flashes several different faces for listeners. It has a much more conventional slant during the number’s first half than it does the second. ViennaCC lays down some unshakable musical lines during the early portion of the song before detouring into more adventurous territory during the song’s second part. Both approaches conform with each other, however, and there’s no dissonance despite the raw-boned texture of the music.
It’s unquestionably physical. ViennaCC doesn’t hold himself back as either a performer or composer. “When the Cats Come Out” is a song that stays in close proximity with listeners from the beginning and that never changes even as the music takes different directions. You may finish the song with a sense of near-exhaustion and that’s fine. It’s intended. ViennaCC adopts a take no prisoners attitude to the song’s development that will leave listeners feeling gloriously ravished by the track’s conclusion.
The biting tenor of his voice is a highlight. He likewise never sings the same line the same way twice and this ability to keep the song fresh for listeners sets him apart from more mainstream peers content to release paint by numbers performances. ViennaCC’s “When the Cats Come Out” is a song, yes, but it’s a thrill ride as well that open-minded listeners of every persuasion can enjoy. Dance music is often an empty-headed guilty pleasure for many music fans, but you don’t need to feel that way about this song. It’s a vibrant and risky endeavor that you’ll be glad to take and follow through with again and again. Buckle up and get ready to sweat. ViennaCC’s “When the Cats Come Out” is on the prowl.
Rachel Townsend