Desaparecidos – Payola

As someone that was really just learning how to navigate the whole punk and indie scene ten years ago, I definitely overlooked projects like Desaparecidos.  While slowly waking up to bands like Bright Eyes, prolific frontman Connor Oberst’s various side projects remained unbenownst to me.  So when the hype for Desaparecidos’ first new full length in thirteen years, Payola, reached critical mass I finally succumbed in to my curiosity and experienced the album with virgin ears.  As someone that has stayed current with Oberst’s various other monikers (Monsters Of Folk, Bright Eyes and solo), I’m happy to relay that Desaparecidos sufficiently defines itself against that catalogue as Oberst’s “punk” informed political side project.

While this revelation may not be surprising to everybody, it won’t detract from just how solid of an effort Payola serves for Desaparecidos.  At it’s core, Payola is a resistance manifesto that calls out the powers that be from the shadows and forces their conspiracies to light with Connor Oberst’s shrill accusatory tone at the helm.  All sorts of buzzing bass, cutting guitars and a binding production value achieve the intended grit.  

Opener “The Left Is Right” lands some early punches in the communal statement “we’re taking it back for the greater good,” likening themselves to “Robin Hoods” in much the same vein as political punk powerhouses like Anti-Flag.  The call to arms continues in “Radicalized” as Oberst offers up some of his throatiest vocals to the cause.  Fast-flung, gang-backed choruses and exhaustive guitar solos hoist tracks like “City Of The Hill” onto fittingly combative territory.  Generational anthems like “Slacktivist” speak to the flaws of informed and opinionated but apathetic and disengaged middle class, and “Anonymous” looks to the internet vigilantes of the same name for contemporary inspiration.  Payola remains very steady and consistent in Desaparecidos’ songwriting, matching themes and melodies accordingly.

By album end, the only issue that comes to light is perhaps Payola’s overly peppy vibe.  For an album about sticking it to the man, some pretty poppy undercurrents run throughout (“Golden Parachute”).  While these make for great choruses and singles, Desaparecidos could stand to up the dose of instrumental anger aimed at the political machine.

Otherwise, Desaparecidos have released a killer sophomore full length that is true to their roots while presenting a sound that still feels relevant a decade later.  Call it a comeback or a resurgence, but Payola is definitely a winning notch in Oberst’s belt.