By Taylor Long

Modern pop music: it’s the bane of the existence of some, and for others, it’s their reason for existing. One thing most of us can probably agree on is that, for the most part, it’s not about intelligence or even talent-it’s about fun.

If we appreciate the “who cares if it’s good? It’s fun!” attitude in the rich and beautiful, perhaps it deserves appreciation in others. Indeed, it is that fun, upbeat charisma that is so appealing about Head Automatica.

A collaboration between Daryl Palumbo of Long Island hardcore group Glassjaw and Dan The Automator (responsible for a large portion of this decade’s best underground beats; see allmusic.com for proof), Head Automatica is the very definition of a guilty pleasure-just look at the album title.

Decadence is filled with all the things we love about pop music: cheesy, self-indulgent lyrics and beats to which you can demonstrate your sexual prowess via the dance floor (or that will shake your low-riding, pimped out Hyundai, if that’s more your style).

The beginning of the album is the strongest. “At The Speed Of A Yellow Bullet” is decent enough, but it leads into the attention-grabbing “Brooklyn Is Burning.” “Beating Heart Baby” is more annoying than it is catchy, but it jolts you forward into “Please Please Please (Young Hollywood).”

This track, which was apparently titled “Tara Reid Is A Whore” in early demos, is the most aurally pleasing. You will surely find yourself pressing the repeat button often and belting out “please, please, please, please / please, please, please, please / let me anoint the lust inside you.”

Decadence sort of drops off from there. “The Razor” tries to be sexy with a chorus of “your body’s a weapon / and you’re afraid it could get out / a friend of the devil / and you’re afraid it could get out,” but does not come off nearly as erotic as the track before it.

“Dance Party Plus” and “Disco Hades II” are obviously tracks with dancing in mind, and in that vein, they succeed. “Solid Gold Telephone” picks the atmosphere up a bit, but it is quickly killed by “Head Automatica Sound System,” a song that proves that nothing good can come of a band using their own name in a song title.

If you need something to pump you up before a night out, what you’re looking for is right here. But if you need something powerful and thought-provoking, you should probably continue your quest.