CSS: Donkey

As statements of purpose go, "We didn't come into

the world to walk around / We came here to take you out" isn't especially

rousing. It's a little wan, a bit quaint, and not very effectual. That's a line

from the opening number of Donkey, the second album from Brazilian post-punk pop

troupe CSS, and how effective it is depends entirely on whether the listener

feels like going out. If there's stuff to work on at home, Donkey shouldn't offend, nor will

it fail to rouse those already halfway out the door. As on 2006's Cansei De

Ser Sexy,

the songs are compact, cutesy, and propulsive; also present are Spirit of '82

new-wave guitar riffs that either don't rock hard enough or aren't cheesy

enough to spread on a Ritz. Lead singer Lovefoxxx still has much of her earlier

pep, but the lyrics (either her own or by bassist Adriano Cintra, who also

writes most of the music) don't give her much to work with—especially

with "Reggae All Night" a pale echo of the debut's "Let's Make Love And Listen

To Death From Above."