Three Man Cannon – Will I Know You Then

When I last encountered Philly indie band Three Man Cannon, they were dragging down a split with Lee Corey Oswald.  They lacked the same focus and musical intent as the split’s better half, and their unpolished, Shotgun Jimmie-esque delivery just felt unfinished.  Thankfully a band can undergo substantial growth in a relatively short time, which is clearly the case for their latest EP, Will I Know You Then.  The shallow, tingy production and instrumental clamour of the past has been replaced with thoughtfully cascading, richly rewarding and realized compositions of the present.  You don’t always get a second first impression, but Three Man Cannon’s new effort marks such a departure that they achieve just that.

At its core, Will I Know You Then simply feels more focused and better executed.  The vocal performance communicates crisply with expressive nuances that capture the band’s eloquent nature.  For instance, opener “Honest” gradually constructs a swelling musical wave by inching in elements of piano before lending a voice very reminiscent of Franz Ferdinand or The Strokes.  Change is the name of the game, with the assertiveness in such tracks contrasting suitably well against the sluggish, grungy coated riffs and slurred vocals of “Coma’d.”  The halfway melodies of “Gold Or Silver” bridge the focused but fuzzed out guitars defining the mellow, calming choruses of “Pushing People.”  Ending on a strong note, “Mood” and “Now Nothing” polish up their performance with the former opting for a deeper vocal ensemble reminiscent of 90’s grunge, and the latter confidently showcasing the band’s diversity amidst a dominant semi jazz-like piano.  Clearly, vocal variation is key to Three Man Cannon’s newfound success.

Three Man Cannon succeeds at redefining themselves after a rather lackluster start.  Will I Know You Then is striking, entertaining, and above all well executed and easy to enjoy.  Having successfully emerged and shaken the shame of sitting on the lackluster side of a mediocre split, Three Man Cannon stand poised to single handedly grab an audience and genuinely entertain them.  There remains plenty of room for further growth and exploration under their new direction, but even so, a celebration is in order for reaching and recovering to this pivotal career milestone.