Since forming in London in 2019, Man/Woman/Chainsaw have steadily cultivated a reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting emerging guitar bands. Founded by school friends Billy Ward and Vera Leppänen, the six-piece have spent the past few years refining a sound that fuses post-punk urgency with sweeping strings, art-rock experimentation and moments of striking vulnerability. After being named one of NME’s 100 Essential Emerging Artists in 2025 and building momentum through a string of acclaimed singles and the Something Else To Give EP, Cannonball arrives as a debut album that feels both ambitious and fully realised.
Album opener ‘Only Girl’ establishes this identity instantly. Spirited violin strings surge forward before Leppänen’s vocals arrive with conviction, carrying the full force of the collective behind them. Electric guitars ripple beneath the arrangement, yet the song never loses sight of its emotional core. Moments of reflection, particularly in the plea of “show me I’m your only girl”, provide tenderness amid the chaos.
What immediately distinguishes Cannonball is its commitment to the ensemble. While many contemporary guitar bands rely on minimalism or detached cool, Man/Woman/Chainsaw thrive on excess. Violins collide with distorted guitars, pianos give way to explosive crescendos and multiple voices weave together into something theatrical yet intimate. The result is a record that constantly feels alive, as though every member is pulling in a different direction while somehow arriving at the same destination.
The contrast between delicacy and eruption continues in tracks like ‘Canyons’ and ‘Get Up and Dance’ . ‘Canyon’s’ beginning with little more than piano, the track initially appears restrained before gradually introducing the full-bodied orchestral rock sound that has become the band’s trademark. What starts as introspection ultimately descends into a cacophony of biting vocals and crashing instrumentation, demonstrating the group’s talent for dynamic tension. ‘Get Up and Dance’ initially feels less immediate than some of the surrounding tracks, but its persistence eventually pays off. As the full band increasingly takes centre stage, the song gathers momentum and reveals its strengths, rewarding repeated listens.
One of the album’s most surprising turns comes with ‘Goddamn, Lizard Man!’. Here, the band embrace a darker and more sultry atmosphere. The vocals carry a gravelly swagger reminiscent of Nick Cave, while the arrangement feels rich and cinematic. There’s a distinctly western quality to the song, as if it were soundtracking the final hours of a long night in a dive bar. It is among the most distinctive moments on the record and showcases a different side of the band’s songwriting.
Lead single ‘Nosedive’ remains one of the album’s standout moments. Pulsating synths and bass emerge before strings and guitars gradually intertwine, creating a sense of momentum that mirrors the song’s emotional urgency. The accompanying video reinforces this restless energy through free-flowing movement and subtle references to the band’s earlier visual universe, including nods to ‘Only Girl’ and ‘Adam and Steve’. Both visually and sonically, ‘Nosedive’ captures the band’s fearlessness and desire to keep pushing forward.
Where Cannonball succeeds most is in its collective spirit. Man/Woman/Chainsaw are at their strongest when every element is firing simultaneously, when strings, guitars, pianos and vocals intertwine in ways that feel both intricate and instinctive. Occasionally, the album’s more stripped-back moments expose the limitations of that approach, lacking some of the electricity that makes the band so compelling elsewhere. Yet even these quieter passages serve to highlight what makes the group unique.
‘Still Angry’ offers some of the album’s most direct emotional expression. Confessional and cathartic, it channels frustration into something purposeful rather than self-indulgent. While closing highlights such as ‘Something Else To Give’ further reinforce the band’s distinctive musical chemistry. Smooth, almost buttery basslines sit alongside soaring violins, while bursts of synthetic feedback interrupt the arrangement just enough to keep it unpredictable. It is a fitting example of the band’s ability to balance beauty and abrasion.
For a debut, Cannonball is remarkably assured. It captures a band that understands exactly where its strengths lie and isn’t afraid to lean into them. In an era where many guitar records favour restraint, Man/Woman/Chainsaw embrace maximalism, turning chaos into something thrillingly human. Their greatest asset is not any individual instrument or vocalist, but the chemistry created when all six members occupy the same space. On Cannonball, that chemistry rarely stops sparking.
Upcoming live dates:
26–30 August – Saint-Cloud, Rock en Seine 2026
27 August – Torremolinos, Canela Party 2026
11–13 September – Middelkerke, Leffingeleuren 2026
19 September – Belfast, Ulster Sports Club
20 September – Dublin, Whelan’s
22 September – Manchester, Gorilla
23 September – Leeds, Brudenell Social Club *SOLD OUT*
24 September – Newcastle upon Tyne, The Grove
25 September – Glasgow, King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut *SOLD OUT*
26 September – Sheffield, Float Along Festival 2026
29 September – Guildford, Boileroom
30 September – Brighton, Concorde 2
1 October – Southsea, Wedgewood Rooms
3 October – Cardiff, The Globe
5 October – Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
6 October – Birmingham, Hare & Hounds *SOLD OUT*
7 October – London, Electric Ballroom, Camden