Big Big Train are back. The veteran group entered a new era with their new vocalist and new label under 2024’s The Likes of Us. Their new record Woodcut releases on February 6th and shows them evolving and refining their sound even more.
BBT hails from the UK mostly. They have a large lineup, but you’ll understand when you hear the music. Their current lineup includes Alberto Bravin on lead vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, Moog, Mellotron; Nick D’Virgilio on drums, percussion, keyboards, acoustic and 12-string guitars, and vocals; Oskar Holldorff on grand piano, Wurlitzer and Fender Rhodes electric pianos, Hammond organ, Mellotron, synthesizers, and vocals; Clare Lindley on violin, acoustic guitar, and vocals; Paul Mitchell on trumpet, piccolo trumpet, and vocals; Rikard Sjöblom on 6 and 12-string guitars, Hammond organ, and vocals; and Gregory Spawton on bass, bass pedals, 12-string acoustic guitar, Mellotron, and vocals.
The band plays a pastoral and classic progressive rock, at least in theory. This new album has more spunk than usual with lots of vibrant keyboard solos and almost sinister grooves that break out of the BBT formula. It feels fresh and yet as gorgeous and soothing as ever. Vital, too, is Clare’s amazing violin which has become a major player in their sound overall, and I will never shut up about Nick’s incredible drumming, which pairs so well with Greg’s perfect bass.
This is also their first narrative concept album and that affects the flow. The album seems to be about the burden and compulsion of creating art, from the emotional turmoil to the pure wonder. The album has sixteen songs, but some of them are shorter, almost interludes, but done with such grace and completion of thought that they feel like full songs. They also make the album flow richly and beautifully. These tracks would be “Inkwell Black”, “Second Press”, “Dreams in Black and White” (to an extent), and “Hawthorn White”.
What’s left are twelve fantastic songs that feel unified but have their own personalities. Both halves of the album are equally good, too. In the first half, we get the single “The Artist”, which I personally love, but it actually might be one of the lesser tracks on the album. “The Lie of the Land” is a shorter piece with some fantastic vocals and atmosphere, but it leads into “The Sharpest Blade”, an amazing and melodic track with folk tones, excellent verses, and a bit of edge (no pun intended).
From there, the next three main tracks are absolutely immaculate. “Albion Press” is mostly instrumental save for some vocals near the end, and it hits incredibly hard with the terrific rhythm section and brass together. Yet, then “Arcadia” arrives, one of my favorites, with its distinctive violin melody, gracious vocal melody, and warm feelings. It spills into “Second Press” and “Warp and Weft”, the former being an interlude, and the latter being a spunky, groovy piece, like BBT paying tribute to Gentle Giant. You’ll hear the angular guitars, the vocal rounds, outstanding keys, and hovering shadows. I love it!
The second half has just as much character. We get “Chimaera” with its warmth and sing-ability”, “Dead Point” with its excellently proggy keys and guitars, “Light Without Heat” with its soothing vibe and subtle vocals, and “Dreams in Black and White”, one I count as an interlude because it’s mostly a return to the vocal rounds, but it’s more than that, too, with its violin and guitar solo that really lift my heart.
The final segment contains my favorite track. We get “Cut and Run”, another spunky instrumental piece that revisits some earlier melodies and takes them on the razor’s edge. We get “Hawthorn White”, my favorite interlude for its gorgeous grand piano, then “Counting Stars”. It’s one of the singles, but it is so beautiful and full of wonder that I can’t help but call it my favorite. It just makes me want to sing to the night sky! The closer “Last Stand” feels like part of the previous track, only adding a bit more oomph and cinema. It’s a perfect ending that leaves a stamp on your mind.
BBT are back and they keep getting better. They haven’t lost their sound, but they are trying new things and feel sassy for the first time I can remember. This album might take a few listens, but once you understand the structure, it really opens up. Fans will be thrilled and prog rock fans in general need to hear it.
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The PROG Mind 