England’s Billy Nomates pulls no punches. Her music is both devoid of ego and brutally honest, engrained with a working-class mentality of survival.
In most strains of the current post-punk scene, there is an illusion of grandeur or tired repetitions of whatever new sound the press is chasing. Nomates, (aka Tor Maries) instead turns to ordinary life as a muse for inspiration. Whether it be pumping gas for gross, old men, a shitty grocery store overnight gig or bailing on a shift, Nomates explores the pressures that exist in getting by.
The Leicester native moved to Bristol in 2013, juggling multiple jobs just to keep her head above water. All while battling depression and playing in numerous projects that led nowhere. In early 2019, Nomates caught an electrified set from Sleaford Mods, which led her to start experimenting with her own sounds. She relocated to the southern beach town of Bournemouth with her laptop and began to lay the foundation for her self-titled debut, No.
Portishead’s Geoff Barrow came across Nomates’ material online and quickly signed her to his label, Invada Records. A gifted multi-instrumentalist, the result was a poised and confident debut from an artist that sees right through the vanity of consumer culture. No was released last August to critical acclaim and she quickly followed it up with a feature on Sleaford Mods’ song “Mork n Mindy.”
Nomates returned with a five-track EP entitled Emergency Telephone, released Friday. While concise in time, the project is still enveloped in the many layers that were seen on No. However, each track runs over the two-minute mark, which is a notable difference when considering the concise runtime of her debut. These longer run times allow Nomates to delve into themes of self-preservation, abandonment and death.
On Emergency Telephone, the sparseness of Nomates’ debut is swapped with a wide spectrum of sound that is based more in classic pop song structure then art-punk poetry. Take for example, the title track, which features a drum and bass sample best suited for electronic clubs. The meaty rhythm is synchronized with Nomates’ deadpan delivery.
“Right Behind You” is a late evening tale of murder and guilt. Nomates details what seems to be an affair spiraling out of control: “I got your story straight, no you couldn’t hurt anybody, he had it coming now,” she as an isolated guitar line elicits a wail amidst her manic thoughts.
There is a familiarity in “Heels,” which works a lot like the unabashed anthems of empowerment found in tracks like “FNP” or “Hippy Elite.” A syncopated drum machine sets the track in motion and a siren rings in the background after each of Nomates’ verses come to an end. It’s a solid track, but doesn’t have the same momentum that propels the rest of the project.
The charmful “Petrol Fumes” is one of Nomates’ best songs. Her delivery weaves around a synth line that descends throughout the track, detailing a love cracking at the seams. The textured synths on the song continue to expand while a breakneck drum pattern enters the fray. “Nothing is ever going to be the same right after this! Oh yea, the walls could fall down there is nothing in this world I’ll really miss,” Nomates swoons before whispering, “but I believe in you.”
As the final moments of the EP tick away, the sound of a car pulling away lets the listener know that their journey has come to an end. Emergency Telephone recreates the cinematic imagery of watching a loved one drive off in the distance, never knowing when you’ll see each other.
Essential Tracks: “Petrol Fumes,” “Right Behind You” and “Emergency Telephone”
Prerequisites: Billy Nomates’ No and The Kills’ Black Balloon EP