Following a string of acclaimed singles, frenetic festival slots and a swiftly sold-out album release show at The George Tavern, our favourite chaotic orchestra Man/Woman/Chainsaw are finally letting us in on their long-awaited debut album Cannonball. Releasing on 7 August, Cannonball is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated debuts of the year.
Man/Woman/Chainsaw have teamed up with producer Seth Evans, known for his work on Geordie Greep’s latest album The New Sound, alongside Margo Broom, who has previously produced for Fat White Family and Big Joanie. The result of this is a record which feels like a deeply cathartic emotional release, one that has been meticulously crafted yet remains wholly unrestrained.
One of Man/Woman/Chainsaw’s most compelling qualities is the way they constantly reinvent themselves. With three members of the band sharing lead vocal duties, Cannonball almost takes on different characters throughout, with each voice bringing its own distinct personality and perspective. Rather than following a traditional band structure, the six-piece operate as a collective, allowing the arrangements to shift and evolve between each member’s contributions.
Beyond its experimental unpredictability, the album is equally driven by an underlying sense of intimacy, capturing the contradictions of youth where feelings of desire, uncertainty and frustration collide alongside moments of freedom and introspection. Cannonball flourishes through contrast, with violin, synths and layered vocals enhancing the record’s unforeseeable character. The album opener “Only Girl” immediately introduces the disorderly album’s character, with its dramatic instrumentation and unsettling beauty evoking the same sense of psychological hostility and emotional richness found in Darren Aronofsky’s film Black Swan.
Nonetheless, this heightened sense of feeling is only one side of Man/Woman/Chainsaw’s identity, with tracks such as “Nosedive” additionally showcasing the band’s skill at balancing emotionally weighted moments with moments of cathartic release. Built around pulsing synths and danceable rhythms, the track transforms the pain and uncertainty into something euphoric and nostalgic. Creating a comfortable exterior, almost like a protective space, “Nosedive” is a gorgeously written metaphorical ballad that uses the imagery of an injured bird searching for shelter to explore the two sides of comfort and freedom in a relationship.
Man/Woman/Chainsaw frequently talk about threading the line between noise and beauty, a practice which is clearly displayed throughout Cannonball. The album feels like a conscious exploration of the balance between the two. Instead of letting the record become sonically abrasive, Man/Woman/Chainsaw are more restrained, creating space for intricate, fragile melodies and moments of clarity. Cannonball feels less confrontational and more like a moment of reflection.
Upon reflection, Cannonball feels like the culmination of the years of grafting Man/Woman/Chainsaw have put in. They have been building towards a debut that embraces everything that makes them unique, a band capable of balancing noise with beauty. Cannonball feels entirely their own, confirming that the excitement surrounding Man/Woman/Chainsaw is more than justified.
