Vicious Kitty’s contribution to the long tradition of Christmas songs, “Mrs. Claus”, stands out rather than kowtowing towards cliché. It’s the result of three outstanding veteran rock musicians unifying their talents under the Kitty banner after decades of plying their trade with an assortment of prior bands.
The foundation of the band is the tandem of Matt Tantrum and Jimmy St. Bitchin. Tantrum’s musical history reaches back to the waning days of the 1970s and he hasn’t stopped working since. Drummer Jimmy St. Bitchin’s journey isn’t quite as long, but it’s marked by the same tireless commitment to making music that defines Tantrum’s run. Public prominence first came his way with the formation of the mid-80s trio 5150, but his playing has propelled several other bands in the intervening years. He formed Kitty with Tantrum in 2015 and they haven’t looked back.
Tony Terlicker is the band’s most recent addition. One of Tantrum’s longtime collaborators and friends, Terlicker boasts a lengthy history with the former while also building an impressive history on his own. The multi-instrumentalist is also a capable producer and audio engineer. This seamless confluence of talents adds up to a whole that is far greater than their individual parts and helps make “Mrs. Claus” a memorable experience.
It is a conceptual song, in some respects. “Mrs. Claus” spins an imaginative yarn about St. Nicholas’ wife falling under the influence of dark powers and the mayhem that follows. Kitty brings their tale to a firm conclusion rather than trotting out a half-realized concept and the accompanying music reinforces the story in exemplary fashion.
They tack on a short bit of sleigh bells to the song’s opening before launching into the track in earnest. Kitty hit upon a mighty riff to power the song without ever obscuring the track’s underlying narrative and it kicks in with a tremendous amount of sonic force. Listening to the recording makes it abundantly clear that this three piece are intimately familiar with one another as musicians without it ever neutering the song’s across-the-board spontaneity. It comes off like a live take that they are laying down in a studio setting rather than rehearsed to the point that they render it bloodless.
The vocals have a throaty, ready-to-trouble tone. It is great to hear the band throw themselves into the moment so completely without ever pulling the track into outright burlesque. Vicious Kitty isn’t taking this performance particularly seriously and neither should you. It doesn’t mean it’s a throwaway, however, and tossed off lightly as the audible interplay between the musicians and the song’s singing carries it to a clear triumph for this trio.
There will be more such victories to come. Vicious Kitty has been together, in various incarnations, for over eight years now and the members are battle-tested talents who aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Let us be grateful for that. “Mrs. Claus” is more than just an offbeat Christmas track – it’s an ever-timely reminder that, above all else, music should entertain.
Mindy McCall
