Man/Woman/Chainsaw – Cannonball

The loose art-rock scene centred on storied London venue The Windmill has given us so many distinctive bands over the last decade. Indeed, as much as it pains me to admit it as a Northerner, it’s had a greater impact on British music than any regional scene during this period. The Windmill is the common thread linking otherwise diverse artists like Black Midi, Squid, Shame, Heartworms, Last Dinner Party, Mary in the Junkyard, and obviously Black Country, New Road—all capable of thrilling moments, whatever you think of their wider catalogues.

But maybe, just maybe, Man/Woman/Chainsaw are the cream of the crop. A technically proficient sextet, with violin and piano complementing a traditional two guitars/bass/drums setup, the South London group have adopted a refreshingly freewheeling approach to their debut album. Cannonball veers from taut pop (“Nosedive”) to outsider prog (“Goddamn, Lizard Man!”) to angular post-punk (“The Thing”) with the quiet confidence of a band who clearly recognise just how good they are.

Audaciously, Cannonball saves its strongest moment until the very end. “Something Else To Give” is a sumptuous mid-tempo highlight, with its insistent percussion, swaggering bass, and tasteful violin oozing the kind of class that typically emerges around album number three. To hear this level of refinement on a debut is rare, and a surefire signal of this wonderful band’s capabilities.

As one of life’s eternal pessimists, I will invariably try to draw out a few negatives when writing about debut records—partially to pump the brakes on the hype train, but chiefly because debuts, even good ones, are generally littered with flaws. And to its immense credit, Cannonball isn’t. Perhaps “Still Angry” tries a little too hard with its “So I call out your name/Like I’m still fucking angry/‘Cos I’m still fucking angry” chorus, but it’s hardly a disaster.

For the most part, Man/Woman/Chainsaw have found the perfect sweet spot between edgy weirdness and tasteful sophistication. Long may they continue to occupy it.

Cannonball is out now via Fiction.