If CSS’s 2006 debut album offered a glimpse into the Sao Paulo-bred dance-rockers’ desire to seek fulfillment in life, art and parties, their follow-up, Donkey, shows what happens once you’re given the chance to get what you want.
It’s not necessarily a cautionary tale. For a band that takes its name from a Beyoncé Knowles quote (Cansei de Ser Sexy is Portuguese for “tired of being sexy”) can the party really ever be over? But two years spent touring the world, getting their music in iPod commercials and sharing the stage with acts like Gwen Stefani, Ladytron and Klaxons has a way of making one a little wiser. Where the self-titled debut dripped with punk attitude and reckless self-assurance, Donkey is ripe with longing and existential angst.
“Who’s got the time to let loose/In times like this?” the band posits in How I Became Paranoid, one of the album’s standout tracks. It’s not a barn burner, but rather straightforward post-punk with a lovely chorus. Beautiful Song has a lively melody that exhibits a sense of musicality that the group’s earlier work was characteristically missing. The refinement makes it all seem a little more realized, so when they ask “We’ve had good times?” the urgent need for an answer is palpable.
Life on the road doesn’t just make you self-aware; there’s also a definite sense of loneliness on the record. Typical “missing you” clichés are tempered on Air Painter with CSS’s signature quirks. Their lyrical simplicity adds authenticity with “Get me a sandwich/buy me some hot tea/ and play this music as loud as can be” in the chorus. Couple the charm with the accompanying “oohs” on backing vocals and the number becomes one of the group’s most emotionally evocative works yet.
Throughout Donkey the band’s wildness hasn’t been tamed as much as it’s been focused. Rockers Rat Is Dead (Rage), I Fly and Give Up are sleeker than the distortion-riddled tracks from the debut, but they’re no less visceral or energetic. Move is Donkey’s answer to the previous disc’s Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death From Above. This time around, the wildly whirring synth has been replaced with a steady groove that could easily pack a dancefloor. Plus it’s a got a Debbie Harry-esque rap, which is a plus.
The most tried-and-true CSS-style track is opener Jager Yoga. The very (very, very) loud drums that announce the song’s arrival lead into a rollicking party jam that touches on Ab-Fab, John Waters and dry martinis in a way only CSS could.
It’s a disservice to simply say Donkey is evidence of CSS maturing. It’s almost too easy to tell the tale of the young band that loves to party making a second record about realizing they’re not yet fulfilled. They haven’t abandoned their fun-loving ways, irreverent attitude or lust for excitement. Instead, they’ve strengthened their commitment to these ideals by confronting the downsides.It’s not just about living, it’s about learning, too.
