Music Existence Because of Music, We Exist
Few indie players in the Bavarian scene are blowing up the way ViennaCC is right now, and in his new single “When the Cats Come Out,” the critically acclaimed singer and singer channels another dimension a lot of observers had yet to note about his profile. With a comedic edge guiding his verses, a romantic sensibility can be found in his statements here, alluding to a greater command of pop aesthetics than we might have seen coming in his last couple of releases. His work caught my attention earlier this year, but “When the Cats Come Out” feels substantially more versatile by comparison
This hook has such an affectionate and playful tone to it that it’s hard to believe this is the same singer who broke off such direct verses just a matter of months ago. He’s abandoning the clinical linguistics for something a little deeper feeling in this performance, and from where I sit it’s a look that he could wear consistently and see just as much success as he has previously. There’s a lot to this man’s sound, and he keeps daring to show us just a little bit more with every release he shares.
I do think that beyond the hook, this is thoroughly the most melodic piece of material in ViennaCC’s discography as of the present. The harmonies are not intentionally broken up or scattered against the backdrop of a leering synthesizer but instead made to be the centerpiece in this single unlike they ever would have been in the first wave of material he released as a pro. He’s still coming up through the hierarchy of an incredibly competitive European underground, but this song shows us an initiative and an evolutionary trajectory no critics or fans should be scoffing at – especially given how fast he’s moving up the ladder.
ViennaCC doesn’t sound even remotely afraid of exploring the light pop element in this single; contrarily, I think the only thing stopping him from really belting out the chorus is the buffering the bassline is creating between his voice and the percussion. In a more stripped-down setting, I think he could make this a bit more theatrical and perhaps even singer-centric than it is in this instance, but at the same time, I don’t see where it couldn’t be as much of a quirky song on the stage as it could be a subtly melodic piece of material as well.
The underground is boiling over with talent at the moment, but if you aren’t listening to the music that ViennaCC has been cutting this year, you aren’t following one of Vienna’s most intriguing and inspired players of the moment. ViennaCC has a swagger that goes on for days in “When the Cats Come Out,” and being this isn’t the first time he’s fleshed it out behind the microphone, there’s no reason to believe it’s going to disappear from his sound anytime soon. “When the Cats Come Out” is just the latest bar-raising number to join his discography, and it’s a song I think you need to hear before the season is out.
Christian Gardenhire
