Release Date: August 17, 2004
Reviewed by Sonya Sutherland
So when you hear that Darryl Palumbo of Glassjaw has a new side project coming out, you’d probably think, oh screaming hard core, or at least, you’d think of something heavy. (Or maybe you have never heard of Glassjaw and aren’t thinking of any genre) Well, unless you thought electro-fire on the dance floor, you are wrong. Head Automatica unites Palumbo with “The Automator” (Dan Nakamura) and does nothing but groove. This record has amazing beats and it is not rap-metal. Think of Electric Six meets the Strokes.
Decadance is a pop album, meets disco, meets funk, meets electronica and it is great. If you want something up beat and fresh sounding, then this is the album to get. You don’t even have to want to dance, but you’ll probably be taping your feet starting with the first track.
Pretty much every song on Decadance is a tidy little package of a danceable rhythm and silly catchy lyrics with enough variety in style that you don’t get sick of it after three tracks. Take Brooklyn Is Burning, for example, its got a great break-type beat with a 60’s western-bonaza sounding sample and refrences burning down the discotech. Then you have Dance Party Plus, a throw back disco track- calling f or a dance party plus destruction and corruption. Can’t beat disco, especially the new twist that Palumbo and The Automater give it.
Palumbo is unquestionably a very talented vocalist, and his adventure into pop-land is more than successful and reflects his versatility. It takes a great artist to be able to crossover like this, and sound so comfortable in a completely different genre of music. As for “The Automator” , he certainly came through on this one (as if his work with Gorillaz and Dr. Octagon weren’t impressive enough). The beats are smooth and seamless, supporting Palumbo flawlessly.
Its different, it’s good- go pick Decadence up!
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