Man/Woman/Chainsaw – ‘Cannonball’ review: a galley-smashing direct hit of a debut

BANG! It’s the crack of a snare that opens Man/Woman/Chainsaw’s aptly titled debut ‘Cannonball’ on ‘Only Girl’: an explosion in the side of the galley before an ocean of sound floods in. It’s a sea of shoegazey guitars and ascending violins, but buoyed by a dizzying dedication to pure pop melody. As guitarist Billy Ward told us in their recent NME cover story, this ain’t “weird for weird’s sake”. This South London six-piece aren’t the abrasively wanky art-rock Brixton Windmill kids they may seem on paper. The song always comes first, and it comes with a vibe and joy. READ MORE: Man/Woman/Chainsaw are finding the sweet spot between the weird and the wonderful What’s that on ‘Canyons’? A honey-drenched earworm vocal ballad intro worthy of Adele or Alicia Keys? Yup, but of course nothing is as it seems. It’s pop but not as we know it, soon descending into jarring strings-assisted grunge assault akin to old-school dEUS, loaded with the grit and intensity of “the real thing” they’re pining for. Hell, ‘Still Angry’ would be a Radio 1-friendly chart-topper for most pop girls had it not gone through M/C/W’s delightfully demented rock mangle. You feel that balance too on the soulful and lou...