Minneapolis Rockers Kiss the Tiger Cover Eclectic Ground on ‘Vicious Kid’ (ALBUM REVIEW)

With artists like Prince and The Replacements, Minneapolis has contributed some epic acts to the history of rock and roll. While not every band or artist is going to reach those heights, there must be something about Minneapolis that inspires artists. From their beginnings in 2016, Kiss the Tiger has garnered the attention of fans and local media, and it’s easy to see why. This is a band that plays with the energy of great garage rock bands.

On the band’s new album Vicious Kid, it’s easy to imagine that this collection of songs will gain even more traction with fans and media outlets. You could say this is a rock band, and you wouldn’t be wrong. However, the 12 songs on this album show that this band cannot be defined as something as simple as a rock band. Furthermore, you don’t need to hear much of the album to realize just that.

The band doesn’t waste any time getting to the rock and roll. “Motel Room” has all the swagger and punch of a song by The Detroit Cobras. Obviously, you notice Meghan Kreidler’s powerful vocals, but don’t cheat yourself. Pay attention to that bass line and the rocking piano. 

The band immediately changes things up with “I Miss You”. With the organ, this one takes a decided turn toward soul. It sounds like something like a song by Lake Street Dive. Two songs into the album, the band gives you a healthy dose of rock and roll and a slower tempo soul song, leaving you to wonder what’s coming next.

About halfway through the album, you realize that the first two songs gave a pretty good indicator of what this band is all about. It’s not unusual for them to play a raucous garage-rock song with the energy of The Dirtbombs and follow it with something soulful like “Hold on to Love”.

The band even dips into a little country with the ballad “Grown Ass Woman”. This one features pedal steel and harmonica, which are usually not instruments featured by bands that play garage rock as well as this one does. It is certainly a ballad, but the brief guitar solo rocks pretty good.

Just when you think that the band can’t surprise you anymore, you hear the last song “Dinosaur Song”. The guitar and the beat in this one have something of a doom sound. Not that you’ll start calling them a doom band, but this one definitely sounds inspired by the likes of Black Sabbath.

This is a good album simply because the band covers so much ground. You can never be sure what’s going to happen next. This band is willing to explore all sorts of musical territory to see what sticks. This album is intriguing enough that you want to hear the band’s previous albums to see how they stack up. 

Photo Credit: Craig Otto

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