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.
