Summer of 2013 starts here. The great survivors of a decade
of hard partying have defied the odds and produced a lively, shimmering album,
destined to drift out from apartment windows and traffic jams on a hot summer
days. Aaah, the Summer of 13, with
Lovefoxx singing “Ooooh, what’s your name?” Those were the days.
Planta is the first album after the departure of the
talented song writer Adriano Cintra. Rather than imploding in the wake of this,
as CSS were fully expected to do, the girls grit their teeth and carried on,
just as New Order, AC/DC and Pink Floyd did after their own personnel crises. And,
like these illustrious predecessors, they have emerged stronger and more focused
for it. At their recent gig in Hoxton, Lovefoxxx appeared on stage in a massive
butterfly-like outfit - a symbol of the band’s pupation and transformation into
the upbeat, creative group of Brazilian women you see today.
In the absence of Cintra, the band recognised that they
needed a catalyst in the studio, and TV On The Radio's David Sitek stepped in
and let the girls run riot in his LA house. The resulting album is fizzing with
ideas, daring rhythms and unexpected melodic ventures. Photos of the band’s
sojourn at chez Sitek show the fun being had there, and this infuses the record.
The songs are worth going through individually:
Honey. A melodic opener which strong vocal, with
unmistakable similarities to the hard beats of fellow crisis-survivors, New
Order. Indeed, this number could easily have been written and sung by Bernard
Sumner. “I wonder when I am going to see you again.” Pure 80s Mancunian new dance, with a
Brazilian twist – what’s not to like here?
Into the Sun. The sound of summer – a song about new
beginnings. Highly emotional and optimistic, with an ecstatic chorus. This
could be a massive single. It’s certainly a massive song.
Girlfriend. CSS suddenly and expectedly turn into the
Beatles, with Lovefoxxx even managing a Lennon-esque rasp – and the melody is
pure Rubber Soul. Again, however, a twist. The stately and rather stern chorus
suddenly gives way to a whimsical female internal dialogue a la Molly Bloom. One
of the strongest tracks on the album.
Dynamite, is just that . . . a musical explosion of bass and
Lovefoxxx in extremis. I saw this performed
live in London, and it blew the roof off. An instant classic, with echoes of
the Stranglers and Siouxsie.
Sweet starts off as another techno number, early Human League.
As the pulsating introduction goes on you expect Phil Oakey to come in . . . What
is even better, however, is how Lovefoxxx
addresses us with sober and grandiloquent vocals. Not the fluffy delivery of
old, but a newly mature and serious tone. A grower.
Too Hot. Just to show Lovefoxxx’s versatility, we go
straight into a sweet evocation of teenage longing. Luiza Sá's and Carolina
Parra’s inventive guitar and bass add a hard edge to this song - the view from
a single girl’s bedroom.
Teenage Tiger Cat is a burlesque, joyous disco-fuelled pop
song, with great rhythm and unusual supporting vocals, before a roller coaster
of a chorus. Actually, it would be the perfect track for a funfair. Disco meets
high rides in the future video? Strong, creative
stuff.
Frankie Goes to North Hollywood, is total surprise – a lament
for an absent friend, with inventive rhythms and sad, nostalgic vocals. I can’t
help thinking that this could be a peace offering for Adriano Cintra. After all
the laughing they must have done together, you’d think . . . Is it?
The Hangout is perhaps my favourite track on the whole album –
one of those songs that seems to have
been around forever, hanging in the air; waiting for somebody to catch and record
it. So simple and melodic, with reggae beats and yearning keyboards from Ana
Rezende. I saw the girls play this at the NME acoustic session, and it was perfect.
This is an eternal - a campfire song, where people smile and snuggle up.
Yummie.
The final song, Faith in Love is a real departure for CSS.
Serious and communicating feelings of longing, sadness - of dawn, of being
alive. Not the kind of thing one expects from the band, as the song lacks the
playfulness of their more popular numbers, but it demonstrates how far they
have come - and the potential they have. CSS still have surprises in store.
Overall, this is a must buy album. CSS are the real deal – a
creative, daring and passionate group of artists, second to none at the
moment. Ana Rezende, Luiza Sá and Carolina Parra are skilful, playful musicians
who lay down intoxicating soundscapes for Lovefoxxx’s melodic musings. Together
they have gone through crisis, and emerged stronger, more confident, more
compelling. With a full American tour starting this week, you would not bet
against CSS going massive this Summer.
For a fan like me, that would be something of a pity, as I
love their intimate, spontaneous gigs and the fact that they are just under the
radar. Of course, that is purely selfish of me, and I wish them all the success
in the world. Having gone through so much, they deserve it.
Summer 2013 is going to be a scorcher.
Rating: 10/10