Vivien Goldman's substantial role in punk history is firmly cemented by not just her books and music journalism and her work as a "professor of punk" at New York University, but also by her musical output as part of art pop collective the Flying Lizards and her solo recordings. Goldman's dubby and danceable 1981 single "Launderette" ranks as a post-punk essential, the kind of strange and inventive track that somehow manages to feel perpetually new as years go on. Arriving just about 40 years later, Next Is Now, Goldman's first solo music in decades, holds elements of the same excitement and studio exploration that she excelled at in the late '70s and early '80s. The echo-drenched vocals, deep bass lines, and digital horn lines of tracks like "Russian Doll" and "Saturday Afternoon" replicate the meeting of dub-informed production and rough-edged punk that defined her best early tracks. Along with producer Youth, Goldman dabbles in various styles throughout the course of Next Is Now. "Substitute" also uses delay-processed vocals but sets them to a backdrop of thoughtfully jangly guitars and a misty wash of bubbly electronics and midtempo rhythms. Thick synth bass and optimistic melodies thrive in the triumphant "My Bestie & My Bff," a song that drives its messages of hope and perseverance home with disco hooks and anthemic vocal harmonies. "Home" is partially spoken word, with a rubbery electro dub instrumental offering the perfect backdrop for Goldman to catalog feelings and memories, the lyrics recalling scenes from days gone by and hearing Public Enemy for the first time at a party on a rooftop. Where Goldman's early songs were raw and sometimes chaotic, Next Is Now is refined in both its sound and her political perspectives. Lyrics deal with overt themes of immigration and engaging with activism on a personal, everyday level. Somber and somewhat haunted album closer "I Have a Voice" is built around eerie piano and Goldman's reverb-heavy vocals threatening to vote out the forces seeking to squelch her liberties. Next Is Now is a smart and lively continuation of the sounds Goldman helped shape so many years beforehand. It would be impressive without the context of the punk professor's imposing resumé, but how the songs retain the playfulness, curiosity, and bright optimism of Goldman's younger self makes it a truly incredible addition to her already monumental oeuvre. ~ Fred Thomas
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