Head Automatica - Popaganda

Like Matt Damon in The Talented Mr. Ripley, Daryl Palumbo is a master of reinvention. With his previous band, Glassjaw, the New York singer channeled Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction for an alt-metal pose. On Head Automatica’s first album, he imitated Duran Duran’s Simon LeBon for some dance-rock posturing. Now, Palumbo is mining the power-pop sounds of Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe. While songs like “Graduation Day” and “Lying Through Your Teeth” pack a punch, it all feels too calculated, even deceitful.

June 6