░░
▐███▓
▐████ G R A V E W I S H ░░▄
▓░ ░█▓██▌░ ▓░ ░▐██▓ ▄
▄██▄▀▓░ ▐████▄ ▐██▄▄ ▄▄▄ ░███ ░▄█▌▓░
▄████░▀ ██████ ░█▓███▌ ░███▓ ▐██▌ ▓▄▄███░
░████▀ ░ ░▐██▀███▓ ░██████▓ ▐██▌ ▐██▌░▄▄▄██████▀▓
▐▓██▓ ▓ ▐██▌▓▀██▄ ▐██▌▐███ ░███▓ ███▐███▀▀▀▀ ░▄
░███▌▓ ▐█░░░▄▄▓░██▓▓ ███▄ ▐▓█▌░███▌ ▐██▌░ ███ ░██▌ ▄████▓ ░░
▓███░ ▐██████▌░███▓ ███▄ ███▄▄▓███▌ ░███░░▐███ ░█████▀▀ ▄▄▄▄▄░
▓███░▓ ▓ ███▓░▐██▓▓_▄████▓███████████▓ ▐██▌░▐███ ███▓ ▄▄██████▓░
▐██▌░░▓ ▄██▌░ ▐███████▀▀ ███▀▓ ░▐███▄ ███▓███▌ ░██▌▄████▀░ ▐░▌
░▀██▄▄▄▄███▀ ░▐██ ▐██▌ ████░ ▀███▄ ▐▓█████▓ ░█████▀░ ▄ ▓
▀███████▀ ▐██ ███ ████▌░ ░▀███▄██████ █▓██▓ ▀░▀ ▐░
▓▀▀▀▓ ░▐██ ███▌ ░▀░▓ ░░░▓▓▀▀░ ▓▓▀▀▓ ░▀▀▀▄ ░
▄ ▄ ▄▄▄ ███░ ░ ░▓█████▄▓ ░▓▓ ░██▌ ░█
▀░▀ █ ░▓ ░███▓ ▄▓██░ ▄███▓▐███░ ░▌ ░███ ▄ ▀█░▄▄▄
▄ ░▐███▓ ▐██▌ █████▌ ░███▓░ ███░ ▓ ░▐██░ ▀ ▄ ▀▀░
▄ ▀ ▐███▌ ░███ ▀██▓██▄ ▄██▀ ▐███ ░██▌ ▀██▄
▄██▀ ░▓▓ ████▓ ███▓ ░░░ ██▌░▄██▓ ░███▓ ░ ▓▐██▓ ░ ▐▓▓▄
▐▓▓▌░ ░██▓ ████▌ ▐██▌▓▄█▓░ ▀███▀ ███▌░ ░▌ ░▐██▄███▄▄▄▓▓▓▀░▀
▀▓▓▓▄▄▓██▌░ ██▓██▓ ▐██▌███░ ████▄ ▀▓▓▓ ▓ ░ ░░███████▓▄
▓▓▐██▓▓ █████▌ ███▌███░ ▄██ ██▓ ░░ ▄▄▄██████████▌▓▐███░
▓██▌░▐██▀███▓███▓███░ ██▓▓▓ ▀ ░▄▄███▀▀▀▀▓ ░███▌ ░██▓▄
░███ ██▌ ▐██████░▐██▓██▓▓▄▄▄████▀▀░▓▄░ ▐████ ██░ ▀ ▄
▀█░▄▄▄ ▐█████ █████▌░▐███████████░░ ░▓███▓░ ▐██▓██ ░██ ▀██▄
▀▀░ ▓▀███▓ ▐░▀▀█ ███████▀▀░▐█▄░░ ▒▐███▓ ░▄██████ ███░ ▐▓▓▌
▄ ░░ ░ ░ ▄▓▀██▄▀ ▄████▄██▌███▓ ▄███▀▐▓▀ ▐██ ▄▄▓▓▓▀
▀░▀ ░ █ ▄▓▓▀░▓▓░ ░███▓▓▒▒█▌░██░ ████▓ ▓ ░██▌▀▄ ▀▓▄
▄ ░ ▓███████ ░ ░████▒░░██▌██░░███▀ ▐██▌ ▀▓▓▄
▄ ▀ ▓██████████░ ▐███░█▓▐░██▐▌▄███▓ ▓ ░▐██▄ ▐▓▓▓
▄██▀ ▓███████▓▓▓█▄▄ ▐██▓▒░░░███▐███▀ ▀██░ ▄▓▓▓▓
▐▓▓▌ ░ ██▓░░▓█████▓▓▓█▀ ░██▓▒░░░███▐██▓ ░░ ▄▄▓▓▓▓▓▀
▀▓▓▓▄▄ █▓░ ░▓████▓██▓▓█░ ██▓▒░▀███▌ ▓ █▀▄ ▀▄▓▓▓▀▀
██░ ░████▓▓▓█▓█░░░▐█▒▀▄░▄██░ █ ▄▓▓▀
░ █▓ ▓ ▓ ░▓███▓▓▓▓████▐▓▒▒▓████░ ▓ ▄ ▓▓▀
██ ▄▀▀▀▌▓ ░██████▄▄▄▄▄██▄▓▓▓███░░░░▄▄▄▄▄ ░ ▀ ▄ ▀▓ ░
▓█░ ▓▐▄▓ ▌ ▓▓▐█▀▒▒▒▒████▀░ ░░░▀█████▓▒▒▒▓▀█▌▓ ▀██▄
░▄█▓ ▄▄ ▓▄ ▌▀ ▓█▄█▄▄▓▓▀▀███▓░▄▄▄▄░░███▓▓░▄▄▄██▌ ▐▓▓▌ ░ █
▓█▓░▓█ ▀▌ ▐▄ ▐ ░█▓▓▀▀▀██▄█▓███▄█▄█▄▄▄▀▀▓▓▓ ░ ▄▄▓▓▓▀ ░
▓█▓ ▓▐ ░ ▌ ▐▓ █▓▄▓▀░▓██░ ▀██████▀███▄░ ▄██▀▀ ▄█▄ ▄ ██▄
░██░ ▀▌▀▄▄▓ █ ░▄▀▓ ▓ ▓█▓░ ▒ ▒██▓▓ ▓░░▀▄▄░▀ ░ ▀▀████████▀
█▓░ ▀▌ ▄▀░ █▌▓ ▒ ██▓ ░ ░░▀▄ ░ ▀██▀
█▓ █ ░ ░ █░ ░█▌ ▓░ ▐█▓ ░ ░█░ ▀░▐
█▓ ▄▀█░ ░█░ ░ █▌ ░▓░ █▓ ░ ░ █ ▄ ░
█ ▓█▓ █ ░ █░▓ ░███▄▓░ ░▌▌ ░ ░█ █
░█▓▄ █▓▓░ ░▓█▀█▓▓▓▓█▓ ░ ░ ▐█ ▄
▄ ▀▓░ ▐▓▓░ ░ ░ ░ ▀░▀▀░ ░ ▓▌ ▀ ▄
▄██▀ █▓░ █░▓ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ▌ ▀██▄
▐▓▓▌ █▓░░█░▐█▓░░░ ░ ░ ░░ ░ ░░ ▌ █▀▄ ▐▓▓▌ █
▀▓▓▓▄▄ ██░░░▐█▓░▓░ ░░ ░█ ▌█ ▄▄▓▓▓▀
█ ▀▀██▄ ░█░░▐█░▓░░▓ ░ ░ ▓ ░▓▌ ▄
░ ▀ ▓█░▐█▌░▓░░░ ░ ░░ ░░ ▓█░░ ░ ▐ ▀ ▄ ▓
░ ▐█░██░▄▓░░░▓ ░ ░ ░ ░▓░░░░█ ▀██▄
█ ▄ ▄ ▓█▐█▓▐▓░░▓█████▄░░░ ___░ ░░░▐█▓ █░ ▐▓▓▌
█ ▀░▀ ░ █ ▓███▓░▄██████████░░ _▄█████████▄ ██▓░█ ▄▄▓▓▓▀
█ ▄ ▐█▌░▐███████████▌▓█▓▄▄▓███████████▌▐███▌ ▄██▀▀ ░ █
█▓ ░ ▄ ▀ ▐█░░████░█████████▌▓░███░█████████▌│▐██▌▀
█ ▄██▀ ▄▀██░░█████████████▌░░░▌▐███████████▌▓▐██ ▄
█ ▐▓▓▌ ▄▀ █░█░░▐█▓█████████▓ ▄▓▓░░███████████▓▓██▓▄ ░ ▀░▀ ▓█
█ ▀▓▓▓▄▄ █ ▄▓ ▐▌▓░░████████░░░▐█░██ ░░█████████░▓███ █
█ ▄▓▀ ░█▌▓░░▀▓████▀░░░ ██▓██▓░ ░▀▓▓▓▀▀ ░░▐█▌▄ ░ ░ █
█ ░ ▄██▀ ▐██░░░░░░░░░░░ ███▓███░ ░ ░░░ ░ █░ ▀ ▄ █
█ ░ ▐▓▓▌ ██░░░░ ░ ░ ░ ░███▓███░░░ ░ ░ ░▌ ▀██▄ ▓█
█ ▀▓▓▓▄▄ ▀█░░░░░░░ ░ ░███░█▓█░▌░ ▄░░ ░░_▄█ ░ ▐▓▓▌ ▄
█▓ ▄▄ ▀▀██▄ ▐██▄▄█▄▓░ ░█▓█░▐██▓▌░░▓ ▄▄▓▓██▀░ ▄▄▓▓▓▀ ▀░▀
▄ █ ▄▓▐▀ ▀ ░▐▓█████░░ ░▀█░░▓▀▓░ ░░████▄█▓ ▄▄▄██▀▀▐▓▄▄▄
░▀ █▓ ▄▓▀░ ▄▀ █▀▄ ▐ ░███▀░░░▓░ ▓░▀░ ░ ▓▐▓▌▓ ▄▓▓▀▀ ▀▄ ▀▓▄ ▓█
▄▓▓▀ █ ▌ ░▌▌▀█▓▓░▐▓░░ ▄░▓▓ ░ █▓▌░██▀ ░ ▀▓▓▄ █
▐▓▓▓▐ ░ ▄ █ ▌▌░▐▄▓▓░░░█▓▄█▓████▄█▀▓▄███ ░ ░ ▐▓▓▓▌█
▐▓▓▓▓▄ ▄ ▀ ▄ ▓ ░▌▓░▐▓▀█▀██████▀██░█░▌█░▓▓▌▓ ░ ▄▓▓▓▓▌█
▀▓▓▓▓▓▄▄░▀ ▀██▄ ▌░░▐█ ░░▐▌░█▌▌░▐█░░░█░░▀▓▓ ░ ▄▄▓▓▓▓▓▀ █
█ ▀▀▓▓▓▄▀ ░ ▐▓▓▌█ ░░██▄██▌░▐▌▌ ░▌███▓░ ▀▓▄ ▀▄▓▓▓▀▀ █
█▓ ▀▓▓▄ ▄▄▓▓▓▀ ░ ░▓█████ ▓▓ ▐██░▌▓░ ░ ▀▀■ ░ ▄▓▓▀ ▓█
█▓ ▀▓ ▄██▀▀ ░ ░░██▄▀░▓░▓ ░▌▀█▀█░░ ▓ ▓▓▀ ▓█
▓█▓ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▓ ░ ░▌░▓▓▓█ ▓ ▐░▓░░░░ ░ ▓ ▓ ▀▓ ▓█▓
▓██▀██████████████████████████▓▐▄▄▄▄▐░▓░▌▓ ▄▌░█████████████████████████▀██▓
▓██▄▓▄██████████████████████████▓░░▓███▓▓▌▀▀▀▓░█████████████████████████▄▓▄██▓
▓████████████████████████████████░░░▓▓█▌▓░░░███████████████████ ▄██████████▓
▓██ ▐▄ ▄▓▓ ▐█
▐██ ▄▄▓█▌ ▄▄▓▐█▄▓ ▄█▀▓█▌ ▄▄ ▄▄ ▐█▌ ▄▄▄
▓█▀█▄ ▓█▀▀█▌ █▓▓█▀▀█▌ ▐█▐█ ▓█▀ █▀ ██▀▀▓ ▓██▄ ██▓█▀▀█▄▐██
▓█▌ ▐█▌ █▌▀█▄▄██ █▌▀█▄▄██▄██▄▀ ▄▄█▄██▄██▀▀█▄▄▓ ██▀█▄█▌ ██▀▀ █▌█
█▌██ ▐██▀ ██ ▐██▀ ██▓ █████▀▀▓▄▄ ▄████▀ ▓ ▀██▌ █▌ ▓█▀
▓█▌▐█▌ ▓▀ ▀▀ ▓▀ ▀▓ ▀▀▀ ██▓ ██ ▀▀ ▀ █▌ ▓
▀▀▀▀ ▀ ▐█▓ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▓██▄█▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▌▀
░▓█▓░ ▀█▄ ▓▐█▀▀ ░▓█▓░
░█▓░░ ▓ ▓ ▓░▓█░
░▓▄█████▄░ ▄ ▄ ▓▄██████▄░
░▐██▀▀▀▀███▓░ ▀▓▀ ▀▓▀ ░███▀▀▀▀██▄▓
▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀
███ ████▀ ▄▀▀▄▄█████▄▄ ▄▄█████▄▄▀▀▄ ▀████ ██
██ ▀██▄▐▄ ■ ▄██▀▀ ▀██▄ ▄ ▄██▀ ▀▀██▄ ■ ▄ ▄██▌ ▐█▓
░▓▄ ▀██▄▀▓█▄▄▄█▀▀ ▄ ▄▓▓▄ ▐█▌ ▌ ▀▓▀ ▐▓▓▌ ▄▓▓▄ ▄ ▀▀▓▄▄░▄██▀ ▄▀
▓░▓▄███ ▐▀ ▀▓▀ ▀▀ ▄██▀ ▀██▄ ▀▀ ▀▓▀ ▀███▄ ▓▓
▄██▀▓ ■ ▀▄▀ ▀▄▀ ■ ░▀███░
▓███▓ ░░ ▐▌ ▐▌ ░███▓
███▌░ ▀ ▀ ███▓
▐██▀ ▀███░
██▌ Artist...: Big Big Train ░▐██▌
░▐██ Album....: Woodcut ░██▌░
▓▐██ Year.....: 2026 ▓▐██▓
▓▐██ Rel. Date: 2026-05-11 ░▐██▓
▐██ Genre....: Progressive Rock ██▌░
░ ██▌ Label....: Inside Out Music / Sony Music ██▌
▐██ Source...: CD ▐██
░▐██▌ Type.....: Album ▐██▌░
▓▄████ Quality..: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo ████▌░
▐██░░▀█▄░ ▓█▌ ███
▀██▓ ▓█▄ ▄█▀ ▓██▀
▓██▄ ▓▓▀▄ ▄▓▀ ▄██▓░
██▌ ▓ ▄▄▄ ░ ▐██▓░
██▌ ░ ░▀▄▓▓█▀█▄▀▀░ ▓██░
░██░ ░ ░▄ ▄▄██▐▓▓█▄░▄█▌██▀▀ ▀░ ░ ▄▄▀▀█░░▐█░
▄ ▐█▌░ ░▄▄▀▓▓███▀▄░ ▓▄▄█▌▓▓█ ▓█░
▀░▀ ██ ▀▀▀ ░█▓▄▄▄█▀░ ▓█
░▐█▌ ░█▌▐▓ ▓▄▄░ ▌
░█░ ▄ ▐▓▓▀▀▀░▓█▄▄░
░░▄█▄ ▄ ██▄ ▀░▀ ▀█░▄▄▄ ▄█░▄▀▀▄▀▀▄░▀▀▄
▀▀████████▀░ ▀▀░ ▄█▓░░░░▀░░█ █▄█▓
▐█░▀██▀ ▄█▓░░░ ▐ ▄ ░▓█▄
▓ ▐▌ ▐ ▄█▀█░ ░ ░ ▄ ▀█▄▓█░
░▓▓▀▀░▄ ▌▓ ■░▒ ░ ▄ ▐▀▀▓▄█▓░░ ░ ░ ▄█▀█░█▐▓▌▀▄
░▀█▌ ▓ ▓▀▓ ░▄▄▓▀▓░ ░▀█░▀█▄░░ ░█░ ██ █░▀█▐▌
░▓░░▐▌ ▌ ░░■ ▄█▐ ▐ ▓▓▓█░▓█▄▄█░ █▓█▓▌░ ▀ ▄
▓░▓ █▓▐░▌ ▓ ░▓▓ ▓▐▒▄░░▐▓█ ▌ █▀▀░▐▀░█▀▓ ▐▌ █▌ ▀░▀
▄ ▐░▌░▐█ █▌ ▓ ░█░░█▀ ▐▓▐░ ▀▄▄▀▀▌░ ▄▄███▐████▄▓ ▌ █
░ █ ─▀▀▀█▓░█▄▌ ▐░▐░ ▄▄▄░██ ░ ░ ░▓░ ▐▌▓▄▌▓▓▌▓▐▓█▀ ■
▄ ▌ ▀█▄█▌ █▌▐▓░█▓ ▀ ░░░ ░▓█▄█ █▓▓▓▓▓█▄▓▓▐▓ ░ █
░ ▄ ▀ ░ ░ ▓██ ▄██▀ ░▌█░▄░██░░▐▌ ▄ ░▌▄░░░▄▌░▌▀ ▄ ░ █
▄██▀ ░░▓ ░▀█▐█▀▀▀▀▀ ▐▄██▀▀█▌░░▌ ▀░▀ ░▌ ▀░▀ ▐ █ █
█▄▐▓▓▌ ▀▄▄ ██▌▒ ░▄░ █▐▓░▐░ ░ ░▌▄ ░▌ ▄ ░
██ ▀▓▓▓▄▄ ░▓░ ▐██▀▀▀▓░ ▐█▌░ ▌░ ███▄░ ░▌ ▀ ▄ █
███ ▄ █▄▄██ ░░ █▐░ ▐▓ ▐▓██░ ░▓▓ ▀██▄
███ ███▌ ▀░▀ ░▀██▌ ▐▓▌░ ▌░ ▐▓█▓ █ ░ ▐▓▓▌
███ ▓████░ ▐█▌▄▄ ░ █▐▓ ░▌░ ░█▓▌░ ░ ▌ ▄▄▓▓▓▀
███ ▐█▓██░ ▒▐▌ ░▄██ ██░ ▄▄█▌▌░▄█░░░░░██░░ ▓▌ ░ ░░▌ ▀▀▓▌░
██▌░ ████░ ▄██▄░ ▄▄███ ▄██▄▄ █▓▓░▓█▓▓▄█▓▓▓░▌░░ ░█ ▄▄▓▄░▀▄█▓░▓▄▀▀▀█
██▌▓░████▓░ █▌░ █████▌ ▀██▀▀ ▓▀▀▀▓▄ █▄█▐█▓▓▓█▌▓░ ░░ ▐▄▄▄▄█▓ ▄░ ░ ▒█████
███▓▄████▓ █▌ ▐██ ██▌ ░██ ▄█ ░▄▄░▓██▀███▄▄▄██▀░▓▄▓█▀▀░░ ▀▒ █░ ░ ░ ▄▀▀█▄
██████████████████████████▄██▄▄▓█░██▄███▀░░░█▓▄▄▄█░▄▄▄▐█▓▄▓▓▓▓▄█▀▀█▄▄█▀░▄██▄
████▀███████████▓███████████████▀▓▓▀▐▌█▌█▀░▐█▀▀░ ▐███▄█▄▌░ ▀▄█░░░▌▄░░▄▓░▐▓▄▓▀
██▄▓▄████████████████████▓████████████▓▌███▓░░░▄░░░░███▓░█████▀░▀▐ ▓▓▓▐▓█████
████████▄▄███████████████████▐████████████████████████████████████▓█▌██████
▓█░▓▄▄▄████▄▓▀ ▄▄▓ ▄▄▄░█▌ ░▄▀▀▄█▓░ ▓▓█░████▓███░██▀▓▓███▓
▓██▓▐█▌ ███▄▄ ▐███▄ ▓▄█▀▀ ▐█▄█▀ ▄▀▀░ ▄█▀░ ░ ▓████████▐██████▓█▓
▓█ ██ ░█▓ ▐█▄▓██▄██▄▐█▌░ ▐██▌▓▄█▀▓ ▄▄▀▀▀▀▄▄▄ ▓██▓▓▓▀▄████▐░███
█░█▌▄ ▐█▀██▀ ██▀ ▀███▄▄█▓ ███████▄▓▀▀▀▀▄▓ ░▄██▓ ▓ ▓██▓▀▄█████▓
▄▄▀▀▓▄▄█▄▐█▄▄▓▄▄▄▄▄▄▄░▄░░░▄▄▀▄▄▀█░▄▄▄▄▄▄▐█▌ ▄██▀▄▄▄▄▄▄ ██░████
▓ ░ ▓██░ ▓█▄█▀ ▓██████
▀▀▄▓ ▓▀▀▀ ▓ █
1. Inkwell Black 0:56
2. The Artist 7:15
3. The Lie of The Land 2:55
4. The Sharpest Blade 4:16
5. Albion Press 5:46
6. Arcadia 5:46
7. Second Press 0:36
8. Warp and Weft 3:44
9. Chimaera 5:37
10. Dead Point 5:28
11. Light Without Heat 3:22
12. Dreams in Black and White 2:33
13. Cut and Run 6:18
14. Hawthorn White 1:53
15. Counting Stars 5:40
16. Last Stand 3:34
65:39
Award-winning progressive rockers Big Big Train return with their first
ever narrative concept album æWoodcutÆ.
Featuring 16 tracks across 66-minutes of runtime, æWoodcutÆ feels epic
without outstaying its welcome.
Largely recorded @ Sweetwater Studios, USA û the album features the
line-up of Alberto Bravin, Nick DÆVirgilio, Oskar Holldorff, Clare
Lindley, Paul Mitchell, Rikard Sj÷blom & Gregory Spawton.
Alberto Bravin û lead vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards,
Moog, Mellotron
Nick DÆVirgilio û drums, percussion, keyboards, acoustic and 12-string
guitars, vocals
Oskar Holldorff û grand piano, Wurilitzer and Fender Rhodes electric
pianos, Hammond organ, Mellotron, synthesiszers, vocals
Clare Lindley û violin, acoustic guitar, vocals
Paul Mitchell û trumpet, piccolo trumpet, vocals
Rikard Sj÷blom û 6 and 12-string guitars, Hammond organ, vocals
Gregory Spawton û bass, bass pedals, 12-string acoustic guitar,
Mellotron, vocals
--
This is the first concept album of the band, with a 65-minute piece, and
their most ambitious album. The band didn't change their sound, but they
achieved some new heights here when it comes to bringing the melodies to
another level. You can feel the emotion and passion throughout these
creative 65 minutes. The songs are flowing into each other perfectly.
The story is about the journey of an artist in search of creative
fulfillment through the art of carving into the heartwood. The use of
real strings, cello, and clarinet is the perfect choice to put you in
the heart of the story.
The album, despite its major impact on you, has so many ideas, themes,
and details that repeated listening is required to absorb it all. The
music, as with most epic songs, has some darker edges across some
uplifting moments. "Albion Press" has a darker mood with straight rock
riffs, with a nice bass/guitar break that ends on a lighter note. "Warp
and Weft" has some cool guitar riffs, complex drum parts, and a new kind
of sound for the band with the use of some Gentle Giant layered vocals.
In this song, the band is letting it all loose without any limits. The
instrumental "Cut & Run" is a fast-paced song with some excellent
keyboard parts, with a crescendo that reaches a climax, and where Nick
is on fire with his drums. The last 2 songs showcase Alberto singing
some emotional choruses while the intensity increases with some great
guitar solos.
This is my favorite album of Big Big Train, you can feel all the work
that has been done with an almost perfect "cut in their block of wood"à
--
Given just how important BBT have been to the prog scene in recent years
it is sometimes difficult to remember that they started all the way back
in 1990, yet here in 2026 is their first ever concept album. The line-up
has changed, morphed and expanded over the years, but founder Gregory
Spawton (bass, bass pedals, 12-string acoustic guitar, Mellotron,
vocals) is still there while there has a been a minor change since 'The
Likes of Us' with the departure of guitarist Dave Foster and the arrival
of Paul Mitchell (trumpet, piccolo trumpet, vocals) as well as Alberto
Bravin (lead vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, Moog,
Mellotron) back for his second album, plus Nick D'Virgilio (drums,
percussion, keyboards, acoustic and 12-string guitars, vocals), Oskar
Holldorff (grand piano, Wurlitzer and Fender Rhodes electric pianos,
Hammond organ, Mellotron, synthesizers, vocals), Clare Lindley (violin,
acoustic guitar, vocals) and Rikard Sj÷blom (6 and 12-string guitars,
Hammond organ, vocals). Note, multiple singers, with Claire, Oskar and
Nick all taking lead roles.
The story is about an artist finding himself by creating woodcuts, and
to my ears is easily the most complete, layered and wonderful album they
have released to date. There is a sense of real maturity here, with
multiple tracks brought together by Bravin who took on the role of
producer, which was obviously a considerable piece of work. There are
few bands who successfully manage to blend both brass and strings into a
cohesive sound (Mice On Stilts are great, but never on this level), but
here they are an important part of the overall, but neither are
overplayed. This is one of those rarities in prog, an album where ego
has been left at the door and the sense of self has been subsumed into
the sense of the band, with everyone giving their all but never going
too far out on a limb to the detriment of others.
Big Big Train are pushing the boundaries of their style as they
seamlessly bring in influences from folk, modern singer songwriter, hard
rock, jazz and more, yet somehow it always makes sense and always sounds
like BBT. There are too few bands these days who can say they are
creating something which is quite different to the rest, but these guys
continue to excite. There have been major challenges throughout their
career, and many wondered how they would ever get past the death of
David Longdon, but they keep producing albums which take them to the
next level, a steady progression which is incredibly impressive and
totally enthralling.
65 minutes in length, the only real issue with this is that once it
finishes, we are back in the real world which is quite jarring as we are
removed from the warm embrace and again in cold reality. There is no
doubt in my mind that this is their best work so far, and I am a little
surprised to see it at #2 in the PA charts for the year to date as I
would imagined it would be #1, as that is where I can see many reviewers
placing it at the end of 2026.
▀▀░
░▄▀ ▄█▀
░▄ ░▐███░
▀█░▄▄▄ ▄░ ▀█░░ ░
▀▀░ ▄ ░
▄ █ ▀
▄ ▄█▄ ▄ ██▄ ▀░▀ ▄ ▀
▀░▀ ▀ ▀▀████████▀░ ▀ ▄ ░
░░ ░▀██▀ ▀██▄
▄ ▐ ░ ░ █▀▄ ▐▓▓▌ █
▄ ▄▄ ░ ▄▄▌█ ▄▄▓▓▓▀ ▄
▄ ▀ ████ ░ ▐███▌ ░ ░
▄██▀ ▄▄██▄▄ ░ ▄▄███▄▄ ▄ ▓
▐▓▓▌ ░ ▓████▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█████▓ ▀ ▄
▀▓▓▓▄▄ ▐▓███ ▌ ▌█████ ▀██▄ ▄
░▄ ▀▀██▄▐████ ▌▐ ▌▓ ▓▐ ▌█▓███ ▐▓▓▌ ▀░▀
█ █ ░ ░▓▐████▄▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▄ ▐▐·▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▄█████ ▄▄▓▓▓▀
▓ ▓▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐▓▐▐ ▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▌█████ ▄█▓▀▀ ▄░ ░
▄▄▄░ ▓ ░▐████▄▌▐▄▌▌▄▌▌▐ ▌▐▐▄▐▐▄▌▄▐▐▓▐▄▌█████ ▓ █
█████ ▐▄░ ▓▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐▓▐ ▌█████ ▓░ ▄ ▐▓
█▓███░ ▓▐█░▄▄ ▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐█ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▌█████ ▄██▄ ▀ ▄ █▌
█████▓ ██▀█▀▀ ▐█▓██ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▌███▓█ ▐█▓██▓ ▀██▄ ▀██▀
█████▓░ ▓█▌ ▐████▓▌▐▄▌▌▄▌▌▄ ▌▐▐▄▐▐▓▌▌▐▐▄▐▄▌█████ ▐████▌ ▐▓▓▌▓█▌
▄█▓███▄░ ▐█▄▓ ▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▀█▓███ ▐████▌ ▄▄▓▓▓▀ █▓
████████▄▄▓ ▄█████▌ ▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐▓▐ ▌█████ ▓████▌░ ▄▄ ▄▄█▄▄
██████████████████████████████▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ █████ ░██▓████▓██▓▓██████
█░█████▄▀█▄░████████▄▄▄▄▄██████▓████████░██████▄▄▄▄▄███████░▄██░█░█████████
▓██▀█████▓░░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░░░▓███▓█████ ████████▓
▓██▓▐████▓ ▓██ █░███ █░██████▓
███▓▄▀█▓ ▓ ▓█████▓███████
▓███ ░▄▄▄▓████▓
▓████████▓
▓██████▓
▓████▓