Man/Woman/Chainsaw 8/7/26

Man/Woman/Chainsaw - Cannonball (Album).

This is Man/Woman/Chainsaw's first full album and it's 11 tracks, 41 minutes, mixing art rock, chamber pop, and kind of a punk edge all in one place. sounds like a lot going on at once but it actually holds together way better than you'd think.

It opens with "Only Girl," which has violin running through it with these tight little verses that build up into a big chorus, Vera Leppänen basically begging someone to commit to her and getting more desperate about it as the song goes. it's catchy in a weird artsy way and it's a good opener cause it shows off what the band's about right away, dramatic but still stuck in your head after.

"Canyons" starts off soft, just piano leading a slow kind of waltz thing, before it totally breaks apart into a wall of noise and strings going crazy by the end. it's one of the biggest changes on the album, going from calm to chaos in one song.

"Goddamn, Lizard Man!" was one of the singles and it's got a strong groove to it, more raw and rock sounding than the opener, less about the vocals blending and more about just locking into a beat and riding it.

"Lighter" slows everything down into a soft, emotional ballad, showing they can do something quieter instead of just going big and dramatic the whole time.

"Nosedive" was the lead single and it's the longest song on here, almost six minutes, built on this steady synth line and drum beat that just kind of loops and doesn't stop. it mixes softer folk sounding melodies with a driving beat underneath, sounds like it shouldn't work but it ends up being one of the best songs here, doesn't feel like it drags even with how long it is.

"Get Up And Dance" has the vocals going into this eerie, really high place, which is a cool contrast since the actual beat underneath is super danceable, like the title's telling you to have fun but the vocals are doing something way more unsettling.

"Snakebite" is probably the weak point of the album honestly, it kind of feels like filler that slows down the momentum the album had going before it, doesn't hit as hard as everything around it.

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Flick Of The Wrist" keeps that same restless energy going, not as memorable as some of the earlier songs but it works fine as a transition into the back half of the album.

"The Thing" brings the vocals together in this really cool blend between the three singers, giving it a warmer, more rustic feel, and it's got that same strong groove as "Goddamn, Lizard Man!"

"Still Angry" is another one of those slower, emotional songs, kind of similar to "Lighter," giving the back half of the album some room to breathe after all the louder stuff before it.

And it closes with "Something Else To Give," which brings all three singers back

together one more time, ending the album on that same warm, rustic note "The Thing" had, feels like a good way to end it instead of just fading out randomly.

Overall, this is a pretty solid album, most of it feels like it belongs even though it jumps between quiet stuff and loud chaotic stuff a lot. "Snakebite" drags it down a bit, and there's a stretch in the back half where the songs kind of blur into each other and don't stand out as much as the first few tracks did. it's not a perfect debut, but there's enough good stuff on here that it's worth checking out even if it doesn't fully click the whole way through.

Verdict: Give It A Shot

Personal Favorites: "Only Girl," "Nosedive," and "Canyons."