Big Big Train - 2026 - Woodcut

(65:00; Inside Out Music)

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 Sjöblom (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. And I expect I will be one of them. 

Kev Rowland, April 2026

Links:
https://www.bigbigtrain.com/
https://www.insideoutmusic.com/