Man/Woman/Chainsaw create a slacker pop collision on ‘Only Girl’
If it wasn’t already apparent from the glut of good young bands emerging from the UK, the next generation of British indie appears to be in capable hands, and Man/Woman/Chainsaw are another glowing example of the promise that the country has to offer.
The London sextet might still only be in their infancy as a group, but their efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. Their latest release, ‘Only Girl’ is further proof of their brilliance, and one that seems likely to propel them to even greater heights as a group.
While the early singles that the band released two to three years ago showed plenty of talent, the EP that they followed up with last year, Eazy Peazy, solidified their status as an act to watch out for, mixing art rock sensibilities with a wealth of pop nous.
If anyone perhaps needed further convincing, the live show acted as further evidence of their talents and ability to play with a range of styles, with the band impressing at festivals across the country in 2024, and even managing to make a splash on the worldwide stage with an appearance at SXSW in Austin.
On ‘Only Girl’, the band are at their most accessible, but that doesn’t mean that they’re shying away from the progressive tendencies that they showcased on previous material. In fact, dialling things back in favour of a more all-encompassing sound seems to have worked to their advantage, as it becomes easier to highlight where all of their strengths lie without being unnecessarily obtuse.
Blending ‘90s slacker rock guitars with saccharine vocal harmonies and sophisticated violin lines isn’t something that all bands can balance, but Man/Woman/Chainsaw seem to be able to get this right in a way that seems natural rather than forced. It’s all very well having these influences present for some acts, but where other bands seem to make this seem cluttered, the six-piece have figured out how this combination can thrive.
Other earlier releases like ‘The Boss’ showed off an aggression to the band, and ‘What Lucy Found There’ has a proggy edge to it, but ‘Only Girl’ does both with aplomb, aided by how well vocalist Vera Leppänen bounces off the counter-melody provided by violinist Clio Harwood. With Billy Ward and Billy Doyle’s raucous guitars underpinning these elements rather than competing with them, nothing feels as though it’s been dialled up to a level where they can’t all coexist.
The production work of Seth Evans and Margo Broom is perhaps a significant part of this, with both having proven themselves as two of the finest operating in the same world as the band over the past half-decade. Both are adept at making maximalism feel palatable rather than suffocating, and this is what makes the duo a perfect match for a band like Man/Woman/Chainsaw to raise their game.
The release of ‘Only Girl’ comes alongside news of the band signing to Fiction Records, where they sit in good company alongside the likes of St Vincent and The Cure, and it’s a home they’ll no doubt flourish in if this is an indicator of where they’re heading next.
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