Ile - Ilevitable

Release Date:10/07/2016;Notes:Vinyl LP pressing. 2016 release from Ileana Cabra AKA PG-13, the fierce femme vocalist of Puerto Rico's world-renown alternative hiphop/rock/reggaetón band Calle 13. With Ilevitable, a 12-song collection of meticulously produced boleros, waltzes, mambos, pop-rock ballads, and even a bugalú, Ile has created an instant classic that reveals a thoughtful and innovative artistry for the first time. The album's first single, "Caníbal," is a fitting example of Ile's eclectic tastes and ability to combine an older, more romantic point of view with the darkness of the new millennium. It's melancholy guitar riffs and 60's girl group piano chords-played by Eduardo Cabra (Visitante)-immediately draw the listener into Ile's unique sensibility. The song's lyrics, climaxed by syrupy-scary violins, describe someone who is consuming herself with doubt and regret. Recorded over several months in local Puerto Rican studios, Ilevitable features upwards of 75 musicians, composers, and arrangers including Ile's brother Eduardo, her sister Milena, her father Joey Cabra, and her romantic partner Ismael Cancel, her co-producer, who is also a drummer-percussionist for Calle 13.