CSS

Donkey (Sub Pop)

By Emily Becker
Published: July 27th, 2008 | 9:00am

By definition, recorded music freezes a band in time. Some snapshots are more flattering than others. While Cansei de ser Sexy, CSS’ pleasingly louche debut, captured the Brazilian quintet unraveling like a foul-mouthed fashionista camped out at an open bar, their follow-up, Donkey, has been purged of all the raunchy, freewheeling antics — and it’s a shame.

CSS are no longer a bunch of unknown Brazilians who photographed their rehearsals before they’d ever released a note. Perhaps they are more self-conscious after the surprise fame that followed, once Apple chose “Music is My Hot, Hot Sex” for an iPod Touch commercial. Even though they name-drop larger than life figures like John Waters and former Brazilian sex symbol Claudia Ohana, there is nothing over the top on Donkey, except for the production values.

While the first single “Rat is Dead (Rage)” features a smokin’ Joey Santiago-inspired guitar line, the attempt to cover a serious subject like domestic violence falls flat: “He will never hurt you again / Up stairs by the bed / There is a dead man waiting.” On “Left Behind” the lyrics describe the nightmares that follow lost love. In contrast, on “Patins,” a break-up song and debut standout, nobody has to die, they just split up the record collection. Traces of Lovefoxxx’s cheekiness do surface on “Reggae All Night,” as she sings, “If you were my friend you could sharpen my things with your teeth / It’s so sweet,” and on “Beautiful Song,” “It’s better to break a bed than lay down and sleep.” “Air Painter” sums up the band’s new (lack of) attitude: “I’m a black-eyed raccoon / Working from the moon / I look back and all I did was blank.” CSS is not tired of being sexy anymore — they’re just tired.

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