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The intrigue at the core of Man/Woman/Chainsaw’s emergence from the ever fruitful London post-punk scene is quite a simple one: how can a band so young already have developed such an expansive yet simultaneously messy sound? Youth be damned, through their impressively distinct early singles, as well as a chaotic live show which sent word of mouth endorsements travelling through the capital like the Tube, they have earmarked themselves as a band to know for those in the know. 'Eazy Peazy', their debut EP, should do little to dampen this enthusiasm, although at times does reveal a band who are yet to fully forge their own identity separate from their many influences.
The EP’s opening track 'The Boss' sees Man/Woman/Chainsaw wear their local inspirations on their sleeves, sounding like what would happen if Lily Allen and black midi collaborated, complete with prominent discordant strings and noisy guitars from the latter and a compelling story of a dysfunctional, plausibly abusive relationship from the former. It is a characteristically lofty ambition of the five-piece to want to meld these particular worlds, and one that at times pays off spectacularly, with the opening, scene-setting lyrics meshing perfectly with the chaos of the instrumental beneath it. Unfortunately, however, the track is overcooked very slightly by the chorus, where the shouts of vocalist Vera Leppanen are drowned out somewhat by Lola Cherry’s cacophonous drumming.
'Eazy Peazy' is produced by Gilla Band’s Daniel Fox, and his fingerprints are most evident over the next couple of songs, 'Sports Day' and 'Maegan'. The former’s fuzzy, repeating motif bassline evokes memories of the producers’ own group, although the stellar keys and violin on the chorus from Emmie-Mae Avery and Clio Starwood respectively move the track in a more melodic direction than you’d expect from the Dublin outfit. 'Maegan', meanwhile, does not escape this trap: this minute long wall of noise, interspersed only with the occasional interjection of the title being repeated, is nestled comfortably in the Gilla Band wheelhouse.
Any concerns that Man/Woman/Chainsaw are unable to step out from the shadow of their predecessors should be assuaged by 'Ode To Clio', the EP's wonderful lead single. The explosion of hard rock that takes place in the second half of the track feels painstakingly earned by its beautiful beginning, portraying a heartbreakingly bittersweet tale of love and yearning despite imperfection. Ironically enough on a song which is dedicated to her, it is Starwood who proves to be the MVP of this track, with her soaring violin lines holding the whole thing together: bringing the emotional edge out of the quieter passage and reminding the listener of the build-up during the louder finale, cementing it as a satisfying pay-off to the song as a whole.
Although they have prided themselves on a style which they describe as “orchestral mayhem”, 'Eazy Peazy’s best moments take place when Man/Woman/Chainsaw show restraint from throwing all of their ideas at the wall and seeing what sticks. Like 'Ode to Clio' before it, 'Grow a Tongue In Time' demonstrates this perfectly. It is a dreamy, folk-inspired number, whose sparse arrangement allows Avery’s haunting keys and Leppanen’s excellent vocals to come to the forefront. Man/Woman/Chainsaw are at their best when they allow these individual elements to shine, rather than having to fight each other for air as took place on some of the EP’s earlier tracks.
This is not to say, though, that the group should only be encouraged to strip back their sound, as the closer and almost-title track 'EZPZ' demonstrates. Here, Cherry’s polyrhythmic drumming is the star, providing the song with an foreboding atmosphere which sets the tone perfectly. Meanwhile, the rest of the band builds on this base with what I imagine Fairport Convention would’ve created had they made their start in the contemporary London post-punk scene - in particular, its cascading crescendo enshrines this track as one of the EP’s highlights.
'Eazy Peazy' is not the work of a finished article, but this makes Man/Woman/Chainsaw all the more exciting. For every time that they do get lost in imitations of their idols, there is another where they manage to incorporate their forebears into a style that maintains their distinctiveness and highlights their strongest attributes. As they progress, and begin to develop an understanding of themselves as a band, I expect them to flourish into a group who leave their own fingerprints on whatever style they pursue. Even at a very early stage in their careers, this EP clearly shows that they have the capability to do exactly that.
'Eazy Peazy' will be released on November 8th via Fat Possum Records.
You can catch Man/Woman/Chainsaw on Thursday the 7th and Friday the 8th of November in Cardiff and Bristol respectively, as well as on Wednesday January 3rd in Bognor Regis.
Words: Ali Glen
Photo: Ella Margolin
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