The Brazilian rock band belted out left-of- centre party tracks with oddball lyrics and a refreshingly lo-fi sound that managed to balance an ironic hipster sensibility with accessibly danceable tunes
Planta Album Cover
The band formed in 2003 and released their first full-length album later in 2005. Their name CSS stands for ‘Cansei de Ser Sexy’ which is Portuguese for ‘I got tired of being sexy,’ which they originally took from a quote from Beyoncé when she stated that she was ‘Tired of being sexy.’ Their sound is diverse and I find it tough to specify a genre for them. I would probably place them in the Alternative Dance genre; likewise they remind me of a female version of the Klaxons.
The opening song is titled Honey and opens with electronic drum beats with a cheerful dance energy and the lead singer sings lyrics such as ‘Where is my Sweetheart my Honey? Keeping all the light in the dark, so sunny.’ The song is happy, pulsing with a hypnotic vibe, a good opening song that instantly shows what this band is musically about and their overall style.
The second song on the album is the first leading single called Hangover. It definitely has a catchy melody and the lyrics include a little more depth than the first song Honey. With quirky lyrics such as ‘If you have problems, come to me. In Pluto, they don’t wait a thing. Let’s get happy drinking Bloody Mary, I don’t want to be your sour cherry.’ The meaning is to be desired by the listener because the lyrics are undefined and open to interpretation.
The third track on the album is titled Into The Sun and even though the lyrics and melody are simple it can only be described as a mix of easy-listening Indie with a dance-ballad feel. It is certainly one of my personal favourites on the album.
However, the next track Girlfriend is probably my least favourite on the album; I felt that it fell flat in comparison to the other strong tracks on the album. The lyrics were a little too repetitive for me and the melody was not as appealing.
The fifth track on the album Dynamite is raw, Alternative Rock. Again, this song has repetitive lyrics but I don’t think the lyrics honestly matter with this band. It’s their melodies that set them apart so I think the eloquent lyrics should be left to the acoustic artists that wear their hearts on their sleeves. CSS’s music is fun, upbeat and would definitely be an album I would place on my summer playlist.
Sweet is a rhythmic track with a long electronic introduction and the lyrics are almost declaring girl power with lyrics such as ‘We do mistakes. We do it again. But we’re young and fun. So we can love again. Girls, girls, girls’ world.’ It’s a great, relaxing track and another one of my favourites on the album.
Too hot is probably the most personal track on the album, lyric wise. With detailed lyrics such as ‘Hot and Heavy, you make this girl sweat. Dripping down the fold of my breasts/ when you touch me so deep, I feel the fire all over me. It makes me burn like red hot chilli’s. And like the snake I shut my skin.’
Teenage Tiger Cat starts with a steady drum beat contrasting with poignant yet bizarre robotic harmonies with a chorus with lyrics like ‘Look into my eyes, Look into my eyes, Look into my eyes. I’m the Teenage Tiger Cat.’ Similar to Girlfriend I believe that this song doesn’t reflect the entire potential of the band and shouldn’t really be on the album in my opinion it should be a bonus track at best. It’s not my favourite track on the album but some of the other tracks make up for the songs that didn’t live up to my expectation.
Frankie Goes to North Hollywood is slow and steady and one of the slowest track on the album. I feel that it complements the other songs and stands alone with its relaxing refrain and entrancing melody. It is also the only song on the CD that features another language, I’m guessing it’s Portuguese but don’t quote me on that.
The Hangout is the tenth track on the album and is also a slow and steady track like track nine Frankie Goes to North Hollywood. I like that the whole arc of the album starts with the upbeat dance tracks yet they end the album with mellow and gentle sounds.
The final track on the album is titled Faith In Love and was the most hypnotic track on the album and I felt that it ended the album nicely. The melody was a lot darker than the previous tracks but it contrasted with the happier upbeat tracks for instance Honey, Hangover and Into the Sun.
The National Student Room also reviewed the album and quoted that 'On their eponymous début, the Brazilian rock band belted out left-of- centre party tracks with oddball lyrics and a refreshingly lo-fi sound that managed to balance an ironic hipster sensibility with accessibly danceable tunes.'
Generally, the album is unlike any other album I have listened too. The quartet has to be praised on their individual sound and pleasant melodies. They originate from Brazil but have had recent success in the UK and the US. They are currently touring America but there are no set plans as of yet if they will be performing in the UK. Their new album Planta is out now and is available on Itunes for only £5.99. Surprisingly I liked this album, the songs are very different from each other and even though the lyrics are one-layered and simple and a little weak the band definitely make up for that with their memorable melodies.