New Song by Song: Big Big Train - Woodcut
Welcome to issue #60 of Scott’s Song by Song (#scottssongbysong).For more information about this series, click here:
https://www.facebook.com/share/Gc2VkwHQWGLdeaDd/?mibextid=oFDknk
I am very happy to say that I have the opportunity to review the upcoming album from Big Big Train (BBT), called “Woodcut” which is set to be released on Friday, February 6. This comes courtesy of Roie Avin of Inside Out Music, BBT’s record label. I had hoped to get it sooner, but I am still grateful to have it a few days early (Feb 3 as I type this). This is their 18th studio album since 1992, with 2024’s “The Likes Of Us” being the most recent previous release. This is the second BBT album with Alberto Bravin on lead vocals, following the tragic passing of his predecessor, David Longdon (please see my spotlight article on BBTfor more information regarding this great band’s history, including the circumstances of Longdon’s premature passing, linked below).
In more recent years, some higher-profile prog musicians have joined the ranks of BBT (also see the spotlight), making the current line-up as follows:
- Alberto Bravin / lead vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, Moog, Mellotron
- 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
- Paul Mitchell / trumpet, piccolo trumpet, vocals
- Rikard Sjöblom / 6 and 12-string guitars, Hammond organ, vocals
- Gregory Spawton / bass, bass pedals, 12-string acoustic guitar, Mellotron, vocals
The album is a concept album, inspired by a visit to an art museum in Oslo, Norway, soon after Bravin joined the band in 2023 and began touring with them. Bravin and bandleader/founder Spawton were taken with the woodcutting art they saw there, and developed the concept. The entire band got on board and collaborated via WhatsApp to develop the storyline. The central character simply known as “The Artist” goes on an emotional roller-coaster ride with various sub-plots along the way. Bravin is the album’s producer and there are no less than four band members who contribute to the lead vocals– Bravin, D’Virgilio, Lindley and Holldorff. This is a true collaborative band effort.
As usual, this is (mostly) a cold listen with the exception of the four songs that were released in advance of the album (Tracks 1, 2, 4 and 15). I receive no compensation for this outside of the digital copy of the album I was sent. I am always free to “call it like I hear it” when I review an album. Without further ado, let’s take a deep dive into “Woodcut”.
Track 1 - Inkwell Black (0:57)
This fades in with strings playing an elegant, classical type of melody, with woodwinds joining. This is simply a brief instrumental prelude for the album.
Track 2 - The Artist (7:16)
This begins with clean electric guitars, soon joined by a flute. However by the 25 second point, the band joins in with a fanfare. There are some nice wordless vocal harmonies between the instrumental accents as we progress. The band locks into a groove at around 50 seconds. Spawton plays a cool bass line as the verse begins and Bravin begins singing. The meter is in constant flux, yet the musicians make it sound natural and easy.There is a change of pace around 2:40. Bravin’s vocals are wonderful. Having Clare Lindley’s voice in the mix adds an extra dimension to the harmonies. There is a monster riff at 4:40 or so. The band is on fire! Things cool back down as we approach 6 minutes. Mitchell’s trumpet is featured, before Rikard Sjöblom takes over on guitar. Great track! It leads directly into…
Track 3 - The Lie of the Land (2:55)
Oskar Holldorff starts us off with piano which becomes accompaniment for Bravin’s vocals. DiVirgilio’s drums help to pick up the pace just after the 1 minute mark. The vocal harmonies are fantastic. The song is continually building throughout. While the instrumentation is dense, each part is crystal clear. They hold a chord with about 10 seconds to go before this fantastic song leads into…
Track 4 - The Sharpest Blade (4:16)
This begins with folky acoustic instruments, joined by synth and has a Celtic feel. Clare Lindley gets the vocal spotlight as the singing begins, just before 1 minute. The instrumental melodies are fantastic, and Lindley’s vocals are captivating. The music gets a bit heavier around 3:30 as Sjöblom’s guitar riffs become more prominent. Another fabulous piece of music! It takes up to…
Track 5 - Albion Press (5:46)
After a couple of accents, the keyboards take over in layers. After another accent Sjöblom is featured on guitar. Shortly afterward, D’Virgilio gives us some terrific snare drum work while Spawton plays another unique bass line. They get into a rockin’ groove at around 1 minute then Lindley plays a violin solo. Heavy prog riffage takes over following that and the band is really cookin’! By 2:20, Spawton and D’Virgilio lay down a groove for Sjöblom to work out his wah-wah pedal as he solos. The riff continues as Bravin enters on vocals. The groove changes at around 3:45 where it smooths out and gives a big broad sound. The bass riff comes back for another verse, before the more open rhythm returns. After some nice use of dynamics, this wonderful track takes us to…
Track 6 - Arcadia (5:46)
It’s interesting to me that two consecutive tracks are exactly the same length. Dreamy electric piano arpeggios ring like bells and are joined by a soft flute. Bravin enters accompanied by an acoustic 12-string. This one has a rock ballad feel as the drumbeat becomes steady. The next verse has drum fills instead of a steady beat, before they lock back in. The vocal harmonies are great on this. Bravin shows that he deserves to be considered one of prog’s premier vocalists. The instruments build to a crescendo before ebbing back. These are all top-notch musicians at the height of their powers, yet it is all about the song, not individual showboating (which I don’t mind in the right context). This track shows how they use their musicianship to create something sublimely beautiful. This brings us to…
Track 7 - Second Press (0:37)
Much like track 1, this is a very brief classical style piece that serves as a short interlude.
Track 8 - Warp and Weft (3:45)
Sjöblom starts us off with a clean, muted guitar riff. D’Virgilio’s drum fills set the stage for others to join into the prog-tastic odd meter riff. The vocals come in with an unusual sounding call and response. The song’s composer, Nick D’Virgilio, whose voice is prominent in this song, says it's “an obsessive-compulsive disorder set to music”. This is indeed chock-full of quirky rhythms. At around 1:50, they begin an a cappella segment akin to Gentle Giant’s “Knots” or Spock’s Beard’s “Thoughts” (and of course, D’Virgilio is a former SB member). Instruments gradually join in the musical mayhem. Holldorff follows with a synth solo. The rhythms in this are tight and complex. Sjöblom follows with a great guitar solo and this takes us to…
Track 9 - Chimaera (5:37)
D’Virgilio’s steady bass drum leads acoustic guitars in. The vocals soon begin, with Oskar Holldorff getting a lead vocal credit here. Just before the one minute mark the rhythm section bows out leaving the 12 string and synth to accompany the vocals. The beat returns along with vocal harmonies for the next verse. There is a change-of pace around 2:25. The music begins to build at around 3 minutes at a moderate tempo. Mitchell’s trumpet is prominent as the instruments take over between 3:30 and 4 minutes. There is a great sustained vocal note around 3:35. The arrangements on this album are just amazing with this song being a fine example of that. There are haunting harmonies to close this one out and lead us to…
Track 10 - Dead Point (5:28)
Clean guitar and keys lead Bravin’s vocals in. He is singing very expressively and painting a picture. The tonality modulates to minor and becomes a bit spooky. The song seems to alternate between major and minor representing different aspects of the Artist’s dark and light feelings. At around 2:40 a dynamic rhythm pattern takes over, and Sjöblom gets the spotlight. Holldorff takes over on synth next. This instrumental break is glorious as Sjöblom gets another turn. Harmony vocals return and leave us with the questions, “Why can this be wrong? How can this go on and on?” This is a phenomenal song! It brings us to…
Track 11 - Light Without Heat (3:22)
Gentle acoustic guitar accompanies the vocals. Clare’s harmonies are delicate as the rhythm section gives us a sense of motion. The vocal arrangements are just fantastic throughout the album. A crescendo leads us into a great synth solo from Holldorff, followed by Sjöblom’s masterful guitar playing. Another short verse takes us to …
Track 12 - Dreams in Black and White (2:34)
Clare starts a complex layered vocal ensemble, in the Gentle Giant vein. Instruments join in, and this piece would be suitable for a choral arrangement. Sjöblom contributes a melodic guitar solo, followed by a glorious mellotron crescendo. This track may be short, but it is substantial, musically. Sjöblom resumes his soloing before some unusual sounds set the stage for…
Track 13 - Cut and Run (6:19)
A dynamic rhythm gets us into a rockin’ riff. Before long though, they transition to a funky-fusion feel. The musicianship in BBT is just off the charts! This goes through several styles and feel changes. After the 2 minute mark, Sjöblom gives us a guitar riff, backed by Holldorff's massive mellotron sound. D’Virgilio’s drums are incredible, as we’ve come to expect over the decades. Spawton’s bass has presence, but doesn’t steal the spotlight. This is shaping up to be an instant-classic prog instrumental. I would love to hear this live onstage. The final sustained chord ushers in…
Track 14 - Hawthorn White (1:54)
This is another instrumental track that begins with gentle piano. The dynamic level builds as Clare’s violin joins in. It returns to the gentle piano as it ends and takes us to…
Track 15 - Counting Stars (5:40)
The gentleness continues with acoustic 12-string guitar opening this track. The vocals soon join in. This one has a bit of a 70s Genesis vibe to it. At around 1:30 a steady piano pulse takes over before returning to the original feel. The music jumps up a couple of levels at around 2:30, in terms of dynamics. A Soft synth solo follows. This is a beautiful ballad, and the moment where the vocals and instrumentation takes us to a new level at 4:03 is just spine-tingling! The notes he hits at around 4:30 only amplify those chills! Sjöblom follows with more melodic guitar leads backed by awesome harmony vocals. The moment where D’Virgilio’s drum fill is perfectly in line with Sjöblom’s guitar solo is expertly executed. The song suddenly transitions to…
Track 16 - Last Stand (3:34)
The appropriately titled album closer begins on a jarring minor chord coming out of the previous track’s gloriousness. This is a grand introduction with lots of accents and huge D’Virgilio drum fills. They follow that with a swaying 6-8 vocal verse. There is a terrific synth fill transitioning between verses. A key change soon follows on this massively grand closing track. The timing shifts to 3-4 as we progress towards the ending. The vocals are absolutely amazing! Sjöblom follows with another wah-wah solo. The song gets its final punctuation by way of a rhythmic riff played by all. Simply jaw-dropping!
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:
As mentioned in my introductory paragraphs, I had hoped to be able to get this way sooner (much like I did with Spock’s Beard’s “The Archaeoptimist”) than I was able to. I reached out to Gregory Spawton via Facebook messenger, and he directed me to the UK representative for Inside Out, who in turn said he would forward it to the US representative. When much time passed I assumed that my request was being tacitly rejected. I came to accept this as a fait accompli. I was shocked to receive the album just days before the wide release. However, I am extremely grateful to have gotten it, as I feel like I have just experienced something that will be recognized as a prog masterpiece. This not only stands alongside BBT’s best albums, but it stands alongside prog’s greatest albums. This is a band not only firing on all levels, but showing what true collaboration can produce. The individual members’ resumes make this line up of BBT something of a prog supergroup with players having been or or still a part of bands like Spock's Beard, PFM, Dim Grey and Beardfish. Yet this is a truly cohesive and collaborative effort. This sets an extremely high bar for 2026 prog to reach, let alone surpass. This is obviously 5 out of 5 stars (100%); a true top-tier instant classic. See the links below to listen to the pre-released tracks and to order a copy for yourself!
__
Thanks for reading. If you enjoy my content, please react, comment, share and follow my page.
Also, I have now compiled all of my reviews and spotlights going back to the 100 Greatest Prog Albums challenge on my new Blogger site. I hope you’ll check it out here:
https://scottssongbysongandspotlights.blogspot.com/
Please SUBSCRIBE if you like what you see, and COMMENT on my posts there! If you really like what you see, then “Buy Me a Pizza” at the link on the left!
Prog On!
Scott
LINKS FOR LISTENING (AND BUYING):
“Inkwell Black”
“The Artist” (Official Video)
“The Sharpest Blade” (Official Video)
“Counting Stars”
The album is available as a digital download, LP, and CD on their Bandcamp page:
https://bigbigtrain.bandcamp.com/album/woodcut-24-bit-hd-audio
My Spotlight on BBT:
Scott's Spotlight #40- Big Big Train
Comments
Post a Comment