Billy Nomates’ self-titled first album careered into the musical landscape with a frenetic unstoppable fury. It was brash, it was lo-fi and it was a righteous side-swipe at the world. This was exemplified by lead single ‘No’, a spoken word onslaught that was both empowering and angry at the world’s hypocrisies.

Now Nomates, the alias of songwriter Tor Maries, is back with Cacti, a spikey (ahem) slice of musical experimentalism that’s poppier and more accessible than her debut. But what did reviewers from across the interwebs think of the album? Find out below with our review round-up from some of the most important music sites on the web. 

The Guardian 

Rating: 4/5

‘Best described as a punk with a keyboard and tunes to burn, Nomates has dug even deeper for Cacti, her songwriting broadening its reach. Her deadpan takedowns remain heroic. “Don’t you act like I ain’t the fucking man,” she bristles on "Spite", a song about coming to a party to spoil someone’s fun. But there’s a sadness to tracks such as "Fawner" that threatens to spill over into country and western, and a honky-tonk piano is the unexpected element on "Same Gun".’

(Words by Kitty Empire)

Read the Guardian’s full review here

Clash 

Rating: 9/10

‘‘Cacti is a whirlwind journey that encapsulates the present and not too distant past, probing different emotions and unafraid to discover new truths and confront reality in its blunt, topsy-turvy form. It’s a statement of intent from Billy Nomates, unbalancing sonic scales and weaving this into a force to be reckoned with.’

(Words by Rishi Shah) 

Read Clash’s full review here

DIY

Rating: 3.5/5

‘There’s still that personable rawness to her production – the synthetic drums and often sparse arrangement mirroring her frequently despondent lyrical themes (“The death of everything real has happened…” begins "apathy is wild"). But her vocal offers warmth: whether via punkish means on opener "balance is gone", or somewhere between Chrissie Hynde and Sheryl Crow on the distorted, Americana-tinged "Spite".’

(Words by Louisa Dixon)

Read DIY’s full review here

The Skinny 

Rating: 3/5

‘Cacti portrays the road through depression, but not with any sort of neat path that resolves with a happy ending. If anything, it’s the opposite – the only track that offers a sliver of hope is "blue bones (deathwish)", an account of becoming disillusioned with depression that comes third in the tracklisting. Instead Cacti ends with a distant belt into the abyss: "I can’t wait for the blackout signal / Yeah I dream of shutdowns now". It’s a breath of fresh air, but we’re left wishing we’d got more of it sooner.’

(Words by Laurie Presswood)

Read The Skinny’s full review here

Loud and Quiet

Rating: 7/10

‘Despite the weightier topics, Cacti is a more accessible record. Witty punchlines and icy verses are replaced by wistful melody lines and a grander instrumental presentation. It’s a pop album, which might disappoint those who came for the spoken word and the attitude. But the bright guitar lines and memorable refrains that colour the record often help to create a sense of dynamism. ‘

(Words by Skye Butchard)

Read Loud and Quiet’s full review here 

Billy Nomates' Cacti is out now on Invada. Tickets for her 2023 UK tour are on sale now.