It doesn't seem that long ago – actually, it was five years – since CSS emerged. Under the name of Cansei de ser Sexy and with eight members at the time, the band could barely pick up their instruments to make music out of them. They sounded raw, almost punk, but paved their way with synths. Amongst alcohol fuelled gigs and hedonistic parties in the heart of the fashion world of Sao Paulo, Brazil, the group decided to go pro - and the world was introduced to the album Cansei de Ser Sexy, which saw the band entering into a proper studio for the first time and throwing all their influences and imagination into sounds that were strongly separated, but at the same time which never quite seemed to connect with each other.
Critics all over the globe approved. The exuberance in the aesthetic of the girls' personalities, surrounded by the bad-mood leader and producer Adriano Cintra was the cherry on the top of a cake that was an exotic band from the third world who created a sound so avant-garde and international that it was only after two years of being launched that it was swallowed into a genre called new rave. And yes, the girls were wearing colours (but who wasn't in 06/07?) and had some electronic influences in their music, but something that CSS have somehow never quite managed to convey is that they are actually an update of the riot grrrl scene that infiltrated the 90s (Babies in Toyland, L7, Hole) [Ed’s note of clarification with writer: "Everyone thought that the girls were all happy nu-ravers when really, they were all mostly angry dykes"]; where women only walked in groups and when they had enough to guts to spit in people's faces.
Back in their demo days, you could feel the fury in Lovefoxxx's voice and in their dirty chords; but this didn’t come across in the album - it was all a bit restrained. Then when you went to their concerts, you’d realise that they actually had enough electricity to illuminate London for an entire winter. So where did they hide all their guitars riffs? Apparently they were all saved to go straight to the secure and coherent second album Donkey; showing a sleeker CSS - now three girls down and with much more production.
Jager Yoga starts with a smart game of guitar and gentle rap; an irresistible pop number from catsuit lover-Lovefoxxx who sings about not messing around with her band and taking you to a party. Neither the cowbell or synths - both the meat and nail in the music - can take away the taste of rock'n'roll in the longest track of the album.
Rat Is Dead (Rage), their first single, shows that the production of the disc is polished, but not particularly edgy. The rainstorm of riffs, well scattered, are dirty as, but not scary enough for their more sensitive listeners (as their pop side asks of them). It is representative of CSS in the (more innocent) 90s.
Although always present, Donkey tries not to only be about guitars. New Wave synths struggle for attention, even though they lose in an average of 4 / 5. Strangely, in one of those wins, CSS chose Left Behind as their second single. Lovefoxxx, who in the past, has varied only between whispers and screams, shows that travelling around the world on tour has made her more of a singer than ever. She can change notes so naturally now, reassuring me of her style and leading me to believe that all her previous errors were made on purpose.
Speaking of great style, where are the essential dance-y CSS tracks that don't need remixes to look/sound good on the dancefloor? Well, they’re almost non-existent in album two, but in it’s last gasp of air there’s an immediate hit. Move is the bastard son of an italo-disco / new wave father that leaves Debbie Harry - it's unlikely mother, stained with the compliment. You only need to diminish the vocal range, speed up the bpms and play the cheesiest synths you can find and you'll have a new version of Blondie's Rapture. There’s even space for a groovy white rap break!
A mostly unexplored facet by the quintet in their short career have been love ballads; but in Donkey, Lovefoxxx discovers love and wants everyone to know it. Air Painter is a statement to her fiancé (Klaxons's Simon), and sounds personal and delicate, but it lacked the spice for me to give it a second try. Beautiful Song is another good crack, but again, it fails to deliver something that lets it approach being a single (or even otherwise depart from being a ghost of a filler).
It’s funny that much of the praise that the CSS received was about their fun and immature lyrics (from trashing celebrities like Paris Hilton to their potty-mouth anthems) and dance-y electronic music (even if pre-programmed synths were the major part of the work); because it’s those exact elements that CSS have left behind and excluded in their second album. Sure, people grow, mature and are introduced to new feelings (and relationships), but a band can't lose that edgy feeling of always risking something; especially when that something is what led them to shine in the dustiness of the monotone scene that is the semi-mainstream.
When someone moves from electro-rock to rock with electronic condiments, it's good to keep some of the former. Because, let's face it: rock, when confined to its basic form, has already known it's best. And amongst so many rock albums, Donkey sounds just like another well behaved guitar album.