Logo
DiS Needs You: Save our site »
  • Logo_home2
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • In Photos
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Search
  • Community
  • Records
  • In Depth
  • Blog
  • Community

THIS SITE HAS BEEN ARCHIVED AND CLOSED.

Please join the conversation over on our new forums »

If you really want to read this, try using The Internet Archive.

Head Automatica

Decadence

Label: Warner Bros.

6805
Mike_Diver by Mike Diver September 28th, 2004

A collaboration between esteemed hip-hop producer Dan The Automator and Glassjaw’s Daryl Palumbo, Head Automatica’s debut album is obviously going to draw comparisons to Dan’s previous work with another respected alternative rock figure, Mike Patton, on ‘Music To Make Love To Your Old Lady By’. ‘Decadence’ isn’t quite the bump ‘n’ grind record that ‘Music…’ was though, instead offering up track after track of dancefloor delights that should have disco doyens and emo kids smiling gleefully in tandem.

The best starting point, referentially speaking, is Prince circa ‘Diamonds and Pearls’. The low-slung funk and sleaze-pop that permeates this album would sit pretty with the Purple one, and he’d be especially pleased with the religion-baiting ‘Please Please Please (Young Hollywood)’ and its killer line: “I wanna fuck you in your God’s hands when your praying bites the dust.” On a more contemporary note, think OutKast if Andre 3000 really let his imagination run riot. But it’s not all so simple: ‘Beating Heart Baby’ comes on like The Sweet before collapsing into a Good Life-style song of desperation, an upbeat ballroom blitz hiding underlying fraught emotions. Talking of emotions, ‘The Razor’ is the emo kid’s song du jour, rattling by like Taking Back Sunday with bite, or Glassjaw-lite, if you like. The following 'Dance Party Plus' is Girls Aloud as remixed by Rancid, and features none other than Tim Armstrong on backing vocals.

Anyone expecting a drop in quality come the album’s conclusion will be disappointed: ‘Head Automatica Soundsystem’ is a boisterous trump card, while ‘I Shot William H. Macy’ closes proceedings with an appropriate bang. All told, ‘Decadence’ is an album that fully deserves its title, and is well worth your attention.

  • 8
    Mike Diver's Score
Log-in to rate this record out of 10
Share on
   
Love DiS? Become a Patron of the site here »


LATEST


  • Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024


  • Drowned in Sound is back!


  • Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Year: 2020


  • Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter


  • Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing


  • Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alternative must sees



Left-arrow

Chris T-T, Cosy Cosy

Tomorrow Morning/Drive Drive split 7"

Mobback
6804
8487

Hell Is For Heroes

Transmit Disrupt

Mobforward
Right-arrow


LATEST

    news


    Why Music Journalism Matters in 2024

  • 106145
  • news


    Drowned in Sound is back!

  • 106143

    news


    Drowned in Sound's 21 Favourite Albums of the Y...

  • 106141
  • news


    Drowned in Sound to return as a weekly newsletter

  • 106139

    Playlist


    Lykke Li's Sadness Is A Blessing

  • 106138
  • Festival Preview


    Glastonbury 2019 preview playlist + ten alterna...

  • 106137

    Interview


    A Different Kind Of Weird: dEUS on The Ideal Crash

  • 106136
  • Festival Review


    Way Out East: DiS Does Sharpe Festival 2019

  • 106135
MORE


    news


    The Neptune Music Prize 2016 - Vote Now

  • 103918
  • Takeover


    The Winner Takes It All

  • 50972

    Takeover


    10 Things To Not Expect Your Record Producer To...

  • 93724
  • review


    The Mars Volta - Deloused In The Comatorium

  • 4317

    review


    Sonic Youth - Nurse

  • 6044
  • feature


    New Emo Goth Danger? My Chemical Romance confro...

  • 89578

    feature


    DiS meets Justice

  • 27270
  • news


    Our Independent music filled alternative to New...

  • 104374
MORE

Drowned in Sound
  • DROWNED IN SOUND
  • HOME
  • SITE MAP
  • NEWS
  • IN DEPTH
  • IN PHOTOS
  • RECORDS
  • RECOMMENDED RECORDS
  • ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
  • FESTIVAL COVERAGE
  • COMMUNITY
  • MUSIC FORUM
  • SOCIAL BOARD
  • REPORT ERRORS
  • CONTACT US
  • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
  • FOLLOW DiS
  • GOOGLE+
  • FACEBOOK
  • TWITTER
  • SHUFFLER
  • TUMBLR
  • YOUTUBE
  • RSS FEED
  • RSS EMAIL SUBSCRIBE
  • MISC
  • TERM OF USE
  • PRIVACY
  • ADVERTISING
  • OUR WIKIPEDIA
© 2000-2025 DROWNED IN SOUND