- Release date:
- July 22, 2008
- Artist/Band name:
- CSS
- Record label:
- Sub Pop
- Official Web Site:
- http://www.csshurts.com/
Backstory: In 2003, six cute kids from Sao Paolo, Brazil started a band called Cansei de Ser Sexy (which translates as “I got tired of being sexy”). Five years later, they’re touring with Gwen Stefani, Ladytron, and Klaxons and hitting up festivals like Coachella and Pitchfork. The half-Japanese and insanely adorable Lovefoxx leads the sextet with her thick Brazilian accent and absurd, lost-in-translation lyrics.
Why you should care: Released in 2006, Cansei de ser Sexy’s eponymous debut album moved the Brazilian group to the deep end of the industry. Now, with the release of their second album, “Donkey,” the real question is whether they will sink or swim.
Verdict: The jangly, unfinished sound that dominated CSS’s first album has mysteriously disappeared. In its place is a cleaner, poppier and crowd-pleasing album that ends up sounding a tad derivative. The synth and keyboard effects that provided such cool twists and turns on the previous album are subdued on “Donkey,” while the still-simplistic guitar riffs take center stage. Opening track “Jager,” with its guitar-driven, stomping intro and call-to-action lyrics (“We came here to take you out/Come with us we’ll make a toast”) is reminiscent of (seriously) Franz Ferdinand.
X-Factor: Big shot producer/mixer Mark “Spike” Stent (Bjork, Madonna, Depeche Mode) took over the mixing board for “Donkey,” which would explain why it’s so damn clean sounding.
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