Should “fun” music be dismissed as dance music? Is it less serious than its mellower counterparts? Head Automatica’s “Decadence,” the eagerly awaited Darryl Palumbo-Dan “The Automator” Nakamura debut, is one of many albums that have come out in the past few years to absolutely and fantastically disagree. Danceable or not, “Decadence” is a strong record with stimulating beats and an exciting new sound. This isn’t surprising, however, since nothing less than great could’ve come from Glassjaw’s Palumbo or Nakamura, much less the two together.

Genre fusion isn’t new or rare these days. But it is hard to pull off and even harder to pull it off neatly. Head Automatica accomplishes both, managing to sound like it’s been making electronica-pop punk-rock music for years. King Caesar is a prime example, which subtly blends in blips and samples with the rousing drum beat and complimentary guitar riffs. Palumbo’s voice, meanwhile, sounds like an odd mixture of boyish angst and nightclub charm that’s disturbingly addictive. He’s the kind of guy who could sing in the most horrible band on the face of the earth and still draw a crowd.

Glassjaw fans shouldn’t be too taken aback by Head Automatica, although they probably will be. The loudest complaints about Palumbo’s new band seem to be that it sounds ‘too happy’ or ‘too different.’ Let’s hope you’re not that thick-headed and will give it a try because “Decadence” isn’t an album you’ll be disappointed with. Beating Heart Baby, with its manic and extremely catchy chorus and Palumbo’s vocals doing some heavy (and might I add, orgasmic) gymnastics, should be a good start for the hesitant. Solid Gold Telephone is another excellent track with some heavy-duty drumming and a nice pinch of piano sprinkled on top.

“Decadence” is a solid album without any of the mediocrity or clashes some collaborative projects are plagued by. The lyrics do lack complexity and depth, but they’re not arbitrarily written. Some people might even enjoy them, since they have a somewhat amusingly carnal quality about them.

The important thing to remember about Head Automatica is that it may not be as deadly serious about its music as some bands are, but the quality of its songs is just as high, if not more so. Normally I’d be happy just as long as Darryl Palumbo was singing somewhere, anywhere on the planet, but with “Decadence,” I’m ecstatic.