Sign In to rate and review
Critic Reviews
90
Despite all the changes she introduces on Cacti, the honesty of Maries' music remains paramount, and the savvy and polish she brings to the album confirm she's an excitingly hard-to-pin-down artist.
3y
90
It’s a statement of intent from Billy Nomates, unbalancing sonic scales and weaving this into a force to be reckoned with.
3y
90
Cacti is relentless, laser-focused and irresistible.
3y
80
The pony that is Billy Nomates has far more than one trick. In fact, it might get into the Magic Circle if this trajectory is maintained.
3y
80
Cacti might show Maries in survival mode, but revealing vulnerability has seen her songwriting soften and come into its own.
3y
80
CACTI teaches listeners about living through the dying, offering a danceable and shapeshifting post-punk guide to tapping into the regenerative spring of resilience that flows through us like water.
3y
80
The Bristol songwriter’s sophomore album is a survival story, reviving us for what lies ahead.
3y
80
The narrative lines are fractured, the satire removed; these songs play out like stress responses, fight-or-flight impulses, each one a little panic room ... There’s not a lot of feeling OK on CACTI, but for once, it feels like exactly the right place for Billy Nomates. She’s brought herself, entirely.
3y
80
This is a softer, more introspective approach than her barn-storming debut, but this 12-track album doesn’t lack the punch and bite of its debut in spite of this.
3y
80
Spanning post-punk to honky-tonk, this piercingly original singer-songwriter digs ever deeper on her second album.
3y
71
When Maries writes, she does so in layers. She stacks emotions, double words, showcases wit. It's only fitting that her latest album closes with the desire to peel away a false layer because she knows there's always something more behind what we can see.
3y
70
Though the one-liners are at times a bit more fun, the emotions Maries explores in this collection remind us that practicing self-awareness and presence is truly the best way out of the time warp.
3y
70
Though CACTI retains many of the elements that defined her debut and Emergency Telephone, everything sounds bigger. The compositions are more fleshed out.
3y
70
Billy Nomates presented herself as a performer barely holding it together on her debut, but where she formerly implied that through cryptic clues and outward anger, her new record artfully explores her personal battles with a universal depth.
3y
70
There’s still that personable rawness to her production, but her vocal offers warmth.
3y
60
Self-sufficiency is a large part of Billy Nomates’ appeal, but it feels like this solitary approach to recording doesn’t really do her justice.
3y
60
Much like its namesake, CACTI proves spikey with its roaring rock bite and satisfying synths. When these layers are peeled back and Nomates’ mask is lowered, particularly during the softer tracks, it proves to be a personal, emotional and memorable record.
3y
60
On CACTI, Maries uses her voice with more intensity than in her debut, demonstrating a profound richness and warmth that counterbalances her lyrical musings on heartbreak, depression, and confusion.
2y
Tf is going on with this album cover lol
Not bad! Post Punk/Indie Rock tunes that don’t change the world but also serve as quite a vibe. I really like her voice, it’s consistently great the whole record and carries a lot of these songs. Some moments can feel a little bit dull but honestly tracks like blue bones and blackout signal really worked for me. Don’t have a crazy amount to say, but I still enjoyed this one.
balance is gone - 7.5
black curtains in the bag - 7
blue ... read more
'CACTI' tem atravessamentos interessantes com gêneros distintos, seja uma pegada mais Folk, Punk e Rock, só que a execução deixa muito a desejar, especialmente após 'spite'; fico tudo tão chato e raso que só esperava acabar logo pelo seu som completamente reciclável que não expõe muita novidade.
Destaques: CACTI; roundabout sadness.
Nothing much to say tbh, a fairly solid record that has some decent songs but is pretty repetitive and doesn't have much going for it other than the singing. Some songs sound like trash and some are bearable but really dull.
On CACTI, Billy Nomates ventures out into more melodic vocals and diverse instrumentation. That sounds like a great progression from the first album, but sadly it didn’t really hit home with me as much as I had hoped. I think what it comes down to a lot is the production, a lot of beats for example gets tiresome really quickly and doesn’t really sound finished. It worked better on the previous album, where the genre made it easier to pass it off as lofi and therefore charming. But ... read more
Become a Subscriber
Subscriber badge, no ads + more benefits.
Subscriber badge, no ads + more benefits.
Advertisement
Track List
| 1 | balance is gone 3:33 | 67 |
| 2 | black curtains in the bag 3:27 | 65 |
| 3 | blue bones (deathwish) 3:18 | 66 |
| 4 | CACTI 4:00 | 60 |
| 5 | saboteur forcefield 3:51 | 60 |
| 6 | roundabout sadness 2:00 | 56 |
| 7 | spite 3:44 | 61 |
| 8 | fawner 4:07 | 60 |
| 9 | same gun 2:32 | 60 |
| 10 | vertigo 2:45 | 58 |
| 11 | apathy is wild 3:06 | 56 |
| 12 | blackout signal 4:17 | 62 |
Total Length: 40 minutes
