Soda Stereo - Nada Personal [Clear Argentina Import]

Soda Stereo's Nada Personal arrives as a limited clear vinyl import from Argentina, the 1985 album where Buenos Aires new wave grew sharp cheekbones.

Gustavo Cerati, Zeta Bosio and Charly Alberti had already caused a stir with their debut, but this second album made them stars. Its sleek mix of post-punk, new wave and pop arrived as Argentina was opening up after years of dictatorship, and its cool, cosmopolitan sound helped kick off a rock en español boom across Latin America. Soda Stereo would go on to become one of the most influential bands in the region's history.

The title track "Nada Personal" sets the mood with chilly synths, a hypnotic bassline and Cerati's detached, seductive vocals. "Cuando Pase el Temblor" blends rock with the rhythms of northern Argentine folk, an inspired fusion that became one of their signature songs. "Danza Rota" pulses with nervous energy, while "Juegos de Seducción" plays out like a glamorous late-night encounter.

Stylish, confident and impossible to sit still to, this is a band discovering its own power in real time.

Four decades on, Nada Personal still sounds remarkably fresh, and a clear pressing from the band's home country feels like exactly the right way to hear it.