CSS - Donkey
As I press play on my stereo and wait for it to load, I become inexplicably excited. Never having been a big fan of Brazilian media darlings CSS (in fact, last time I saw them play live I swore never to watch them again) it seems odd that I should care about this, their second record. But after hearing that theyâve dropped the filthy lyrics, gaining a better grasp of the English language and thus learning just what theyâve been singing, I canât help but wonder what theyâre going to produce this time around.
And seemingly that would be a fairly unimaginative album that lacks both fresh ideas and that sense of fun that was so evident on their eponymous debut record. Lead single âLeft Behindâ is the standout track of the eleven collated here, incessantly catchy and effective in itâs simplistic nature. Second single âRat is Dead (Rage)â is almost as brilliant but falls a little short, relying too heavily on repetitive riffs and bass lines. âBeautiful Songâ is almost amongst the better tracks, with its sing-song âlike me, like he, like sheâ refrain in particular shining through. Still though, it feels like itâs missing something, that key ingredient that made people sit up and listen first time round.
Maybe the troubles the band have encountered since the release of their first album, âCSSâ, are to blame. Their former manager, and ex-bassist Ira Trevisanâs partner, reportedly left the band facing severe financial difficulties but lesser groups have faced worse problems than this yet still managed to write and produce outstanding LPs. The thing with âDonkeyâ is, whilst every song is pleasant enough (apart from the absolutely dire âReggae All Nightâ) itâs not enough. With the exception of âLeft Behindâ, each track feels like a half-baked, half-finished product; itâs like listening to a set of promising demos that could become spectacular if they were worked on a little more.
'Air Painter' comes to an end and so signals the close of the record, 39 minutes of "meh" over and done with until next time, if indeed there is a next time. Which, to be honest, isn't looking very likely right now.
