CSS - Donkey

Brazilian quartet get professional, lose the fun

When word crept out that Brazilian electro-filth-pop nutters CSS were planning to go “serious” on their second album, the musical world knit its brow. Surely a serious CSS would be about as much use as Kaiser Chiefs if they ditched the bouncy Yorkshire terrier indie in favour of plodding, cack-handed social commentary. Oh, wait…

Still, given that the album’s called Donkey we’re not talking Interpol here. What we do have is a smoothed-out, less ramshackle record, with more “proper tunes”. At first, in comparison to the DayGlo riot of Cansei De Ser Sexy, it’s a disappointment. After a few listens, though, you find its tunes lodged in your brain. Sadly, after several more, you conclude there’s only three of them: punchy opener Jager Yoga, the Belly/Pixies alt.pop of the jubilant Rage (Rat Is Dead) and the funky disco of Move (which would easily have fitted onto their debut). The rest is, perhaps as a result of their constant touring, a bit “Will this do?” and, in the case of Air Painter, singer Lovefoxxx’s rather nauseating tribute to her fiancé, Klaxons’ Simon Davis, downright annoying. Clearly, they did get tired of being sexy.

2 stars 2 stars

Sub Pop/Warner | 5144289832

Reviewed by Emily Mackay
<< Back to Issue 353

Login Here

Free Newsletter


Subscribe to
our email newsletter by emailing:

anna.bowen@
metropolis.co.uk