Donkey

CSS’s debut, 2006’s Cansei de Ser Sexy, was a sassy affair brimming with anarchic energy. The Brazilian group didn’t serve up any of the styles typically associated with that country; instead they retooled 1980s alt-rock to create danceable 21st century post-punk. In other words, they have more in common with LCD Soundsystem than Caetano Veloso. Four members of CSS are women — including lead vocalist Lovefoxxx — and the lone male in the group, drummer-turned-bassist Adriano Cintra, writes and produces. (Various band members contribute lyrics.) The wildness of Cansei de Ser Sexy is transformed into something more conventional on their second release, Donkey. Insistent guitar, catchy bass lines, synth hooks, and Lovefoxxx’s urgent vocals still mark the group’s sound, but everything here is more shaped and polished. The album’s darkest track, “Rat is Dead (Rage),” rides a surf beat and surges like classic Pixies. Another standout, the synth-driven “How I Became Paranoid,” balances tightly-wound rhythms and an infectious chorus to create edgy pop. It’s hard not to miss the excitement of the first album, but Donkey does capture a band sharpening its sound.