Pan Caliente Premiere: Sol Pereyra

Sol Pereyra in 2009, when I kept seeing @solsolito (her twitter handle) tagged by other musicians that I was currently listening to.

At a glance, there appeared to be yet another prominent, fan adored, female singer/ songwriter joining the ranks of Sariñana, Morrison, and Lafourcade.

Which at the time seemed great, but to be honest, the scene was saturated with songs about broken hearts and emotional, soul searching ingénues.

So it was to my great delight after listening to Sol’s music, that I realized her inclusion into this category would mainly be based on her being a female, who writes and composes her own music.

In fact, her first album, “Bla, Bla, Bla” had this bubbly and cheerful artwork on the cover that much like the album title, were meant to poke fun at this scene that she knew she would inevitably be lumped into.

Sol’s not your typical, emotionally charged fem crooner. Her songwriting is a bit grittier than the rest in this category.

It’s got hints of social commentary, feminist empowerment and themes that many of her contemporaries aren’t writing about. Her music also has strong reggae influences that make it refreshing.

Two of my favorite tracks of hers are “Comunmixta” (the title track of her second album) and “Reggaetonta”, which not only interpolates the melody of Rod Stewart’s “If You Think I’m Sexy,” but give you clear insight into her thematic songwriting.

In “Comunmixta”, she builds every verse on playful contradictions that show her unique view of the world, “Soy comunista y soy consumista” (“I am a communist and I am a consumer”), “soy lo mejor de lo peor.” (“I am the best of the worst”), “soy la basura, soy casi pura.” (“I am trash and I am almost pure”).

On “Reggaetonta“, she uses the story of a dumb young girl in complicated love affairs (themes that her contemporaries have built strong careers on) but turns the song into a form of emancipation rather than simply lament.

To further set Pereyra’s music apart, there’s also a strange cadence to the way Sol sings.

It’s got a whole lot of rap/hip-hop phrasing, but not because she’s trying to be street. She’s explained it in interviews as maybe a coincidental byproduct of her accent from her hometown of Cordoba, Argentina. Either way it blends well with the reggae undertones of many of her songs.

Pereyra’s third album, due out August 19 on Cosmica, is a crowning achievement for her since she quit playing in both Julieta Venega’s & Carla Morrison’s touring bands to dedicate herself to her own project.

Check out this exclusive listen from her forthcoming album, “Tirame Agua”.

She’s one of the sweetest and interesting people I’ve ever met and, from the demos I’ve heard throughout the year, I’m positive her third album will be playful while thought provoking and produced masterfully.