The five Sao Paulo art scene kids of Cansei de Ser Sexy caught international attention for simple, danceable, cheeky indie rock songs in broken English about severed tongues, getting drunk and how Paris Hilton is a “bitch.” Two years and several world tours later, the band named after a purported Beyoncé quote have released Donkey, a disappointingly mature follow-up for their empire built on musical sloppiness.

Instead of the random Portuguese interludes and clever lyrics that made CSS stand out from all the trash trying to make us dance, Donkey strains to maintain their former party vibe, opting instead for serious lyrics about suitcases full of emotions and watching TV with your sweetie (yech!). Even the music has become trite, morphing from signature cutesy beats and simplistic distorted guitar riffs to beefed-up bass lines, radio-friendly song-titles and heard-it-all-before, polished-to-all-hell ’80s-influenced dance rock.

Songs like “Jager Yoga,” “Reggae All Night” and “How I Became Paranoid” are enjoyable in their own right. Perfectly catchy and horribly addicting, Donkey is a great pop record, but it’s no CSS.

Grade: B

Donkey is currently available.