Review Summary: A stellar introduction to Rock en Espanol, a subgenre that amplified the voice of Latin American democratic movements in the 1980s and 1990s.
Signos is less of a pop record and more of an homage to Argentina’s newfound freedom post-1983. In that critical year, the nation’s detested right-wing military government met a peaceful end and a center-left social democracy emerged in its place. Given this political milieu, it is entirely befitting rock trio Soda Stereo recorded this album in Berkeley, California—a hub for revolutionary politics with decidedly leftist sympathies. Because of the circumstances surrounding its conception, recording, and release, Signos cannot be analyzed independently of its sociopolitical context. Indeed, this fact is made more remarkable by the album’s lack of explicit mention of any politics, even the previously mentioned right-wing junta. Signos, due to its ability to spin apolitical topical matter in a political, revolutionary light, offers compelling proof of vocalist Gustavo Cerati’s brilliance as a songwriter and Soda Stereo’s creativity as a band.
As hardy survivors of both state-sponsored terrorism and puritanical censorship, Soda Stereo created music in the mid-1980s that both conveyed optimism and projected trauma. Song titles such as “Fugitives” and “You Don’t Exist” allude to the Argentine military’s forced kidnapping of political dissidents in years prior. Gustavo Cerati layers his lyrics with clever political subtext even when singing about relatively innocuous subject matter. He frames lyrics about sex, relationships, and hedonism as rebellious acts of espionage. Standout track Persiana Americana (American Blinds) likens a man indulging in a voyeuristic fantasy to him serving as a spy behind enemy lines. This is Signos greatest strength. It admirably combines fantastic rock instrumentation, jarring vocals, and raunchy lyrics into a channel for liberation and democracy.
Soda Stereo was one of many Latin American bands in the late 1980s that catapulted so-called Rock en Espanol to global recognition. Aside from immensely catchy rhythms, well-crafted allegories, and infectious choruses, Signos offers cultural insight into developments occurring in 1980s Latin America. Rock as a genre tends to be associated with political movements, namely 1960s counterculture and defiance against 1970s-80s Christian censorship here in the United States. Signos proves rock is a potent vessel for change. Indeed, the rise of Rock en Espanol paralleled the fall of right-wing Latin American dictatorships, starting in Argentina, continuing onto Chile, and ending in Brazil.
