Man/Woman/Chainsaw share debut ‘Cannonball’
The London-based six-piece deliver a debut worthy of the hype.
★★★★½
Photo: Charlie & Charlie
Following years of playing killer shows in sticky-floored pubs and stuffy venues across the UK, London six-piece Man/Woman/Chainsaw have become one of the country’s most hyped young bands. On their debut album, Cannonball, they prove exactly why.
Crashing headfirst into the human experience in a collection of songs that burst with feeling, the band explore themes of love, vindication and heartbreak through their trademark unpredictability. Opening track Only Girl lures listeners straight into their world with swirling instrumentation and a gorgeous violin topline, while tracks like Goddamn! Lizard Man! and Get Up and Dance showcase the sheer scale of the band’s soundscapes, constantly twisting and turning into unexpected territory.
Their lineup continues to lend itself perfectly to loud, adventurous rock sounds, but it’s their grasp of the more gentle, beautiful moments that really impresses. Whether it’s Canyons’ candid, heart-wrenching opening, the gorgeous sincerity of Lighter or the stunning layered vocals of Snakebite, every track makes a powerful mark. Still Angry and Something Else to Give are a particularly powerful closing punch, pairing raw emotional honesty with cathartic, sweeping arrangements that leave you stunned, moved and instantly craving another listen.
All in all, it’s a jaw-dropping debut that embraces tenderness, vulnerability, heaviness and chaos in equal measure. So, dive in and let Cannonball pull you under.
Cannonball is out August 7th via Fiction Records. Pre-order the album from Rough Trade here.
You can also find this review in print. Order Issue 2 of The Indie Scene Magazine here.