Review: Head Automatica – Popaganda

While most fans of Daryl Palumbo’s power pop project, Head Automatica, point to the band’s debut of Decadence as their best work, I am firmly in the camp that Popaganda is the better album. Heavily inspired by the infectious melodies of The Beatles and the upbeat nature of Elvis Costello, Popaganda came storming out of the gate with the bulletproof single of “Graduation Day” that ignited the limitless possibilities of the band. The record was produced by veteran hit-maker Howard Benson (My Chemical Romance, Saosin), and it has an undeniable sheen to its vibrant sound. The promotional cycle of the record got a bit derailed due to Palumbo’s struggles with Crohn’s disease and the inability to stay on the road as much as he and his bandmates may have wanted. However, giving a fresh listen to this record today is a warm and inviting experience that brought back a flood of positive memories for me during the summer of 2006. It was a CD that spent more time in my car’s player than it did on the shelf, and it stills sounds as urgent and refreshing to this day.