Warning: Before you’re done playing this one, you’ll probably have it sitting in your shopping cart over at Bachelor Records. And by the time you’re on your second or third spin, you might as well toss in more goodies from the label’s webstore.

I’m talking about the new Plastic Act single, Now!, a tasty follow-up to their 2023 debut that had me wondering if it was some unearthed ’70s outsider punk gem. Spoiler: it’s not. It’s actually the latest outlet for the creative brilliance of Josh Herlihey (Private Lives).

The Now! 7″ features three new tracks that, as Patrick McEachnie (Pack Rat, Hosehead Records) puts it, channel “at least as much Velvet Underground as it does the Ork Records catalogue.” From the moment opener Everywhere I Go kicks in, it’s clear Herlihey is working in the most playful, bouncy, and vibrant corners of ’70s (proto)punk. The energy carries through TV Sex with its razor-sharp chorus hook, and the single closes with Hard To Come By, a laid-back yet irresistibly catchy track.

Single of the year? It’s definitely in the running, my friends!

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Bachelor Records