By Geoff Bailie
Being an active prog band for more than 30 years and not bringing out a concept album is a remarkable display of restraint! While Big Big Train can now tick this particular achievement off their list, of course, their entire back catalogue is filled with story songs, themes, and concepts that mean it’s a very natural place to arrive at – and what a journey. Most of you reading this don’t need the band history lesson, but I think it is worth saying that this is an album that has arrived organically at this stage of the band’s development. The seven-piece line-up, which toured Europe and the US over the last few years, is settled and bonded into a cohesive unit. You only need to look at the credits list to appreciate the breadth of musical, instrumental, and vocal skill contained within one unit that consists of people from six countries – Woodcut truly reflects that breadth of expertise and experience perhaps better than any previous album!
Let me summarize the narrative of the album: the main character is The Artist, who is struggling with his art and his life. One day, he produces a very beautiful piece of art – the woodcut -, and he gets drawn into the world he has created. Is it real or imagined? Has he lost the plot or found the answer? This is what the album explores, and it does so in a way that the narrative is present but not overpowering. It’s there to dig into if you want to take the journey (thanks to the extensive sleeve notes and forthcoming “making of” book), and if you don’t, well, it’s a fantastic set of songs that you can appreciate outside of that world! I’ll not name any names, but not all concept albums achieve that equilibrium, and can either be cast aside as incomprehensible, or the narrative enslaves the listener to the extent that the music doesn’t work outside of the structure. Neither of those is the case here!
The introductory instrumental “Inkwell Black” teases musical themes that you’ll hear later, and this is followed by the first single, “The Artist.” Of the album’s 16 tracks, 4 are instrumentals, providing the thematic and musical bridges between songs. What is new is that Claire Lindley is the lyricist for The Artist and 3 other tracks, as well as co-writer of the words on 2 others – it’s meant as a compliment when I say that you can really only tell that by scanning the credits, as the lyrics are consistent in style and very much BBT! With the scene and story set, “The Lie of the Land” which follows, feels like a gear shift – starting with solo piano, and a rich Bravin vocal, gradually it builds in intensity, ending at a frantic pace!
That is followed by the “dark folk” of “The Sharpest Blade.” For me, a clever part of the album’s construction is that it makes use of all of the vocalists in the band, but this isn’t like a cast of characters. Instead, the vocal tones are used to colour and shape the songs. Claire Lindley’s pure and confident vocal performance in this track is a highlight, and when Alberto joins at various points, the combination is a winner! The track ends with a power-chord that drops a hint of what’s to come in “Albion Press” – and so we move from dark folk to an almost Sabbath-like intensity. This isn’t just captured by the guitar riffs, but the whole range of BBT instrumentation. Guitar and keyboard solos conjure musical images of the world inside the Woodcut as you fully embark on the journey into a new world. There is a very cool “Pictures in my mind” refrain in this song, which is a theme that crops up later on.
Throughout this album, it shifts back and forward between delicate acoustic simplicity and harsher intensity. “Arcadia” starts in the former, with precise 12-string playing and a lyrical bass line. It’s a track which, on second and third listen, you’ll spot the hints of a significant future melody from the end of the album. The whole piece is beautifully constructed, and the subtle musical and lyrical cross references are all present to be discovered, like Easter eggs! The listener should use “Second Press” to catch their breath before Nick D’Virgilio’s outpouring, “Warp and Weft.” In the narrative, The Artist, having experienced the Arcadia world of his woodcut, is exiled back to the real world, leaving him reeling from the experience. Thus, the intricate, twisting rhythm of this track, combined with looping guitar lines, overlaid with a clever vocal arrangement and horn/ violin stabs, perfectly illustrate his present state. Just as you’re getting to grips with the groove, the music stops and a dizzying maze of vocal counterpoints kicks in, reflecting his mental confusion and unravelling! It’s such a clever piece, yet I find myself smiling at how complex the vocal and instrumental arrangement becomes, adding a very cool Moog solo. This is one of those songs where you can see an audience leaping to its feet to applaud at its completion – amazing.
“Chimaera” (to save you Googling it – yes, I had to check) isn’t a place, but rather it’s a state: something that you hope for, but can’t possibly achieve – and this is where The Artist is. This track is the midpoint of the album, time-wise and in the narrative, and it’s classic BBT. A particular nod to Oskar Holldorf, whose bridge vocal in this track is a standout point of the album, contrasted and built up by Alberto high up in his register, reflecting the cry of The Artist at his state, and followed by a fantastic Sjoblom/ Lindley guitar/ violin duet. The path grows darker in “Dead Point,” as the character sees dark figures – once again, a clever vocal contrast is used, with Rikard expressing some of the confused and confusing thoughts – “This close to danger is when I feel most alive” is the key line in this part of the story, as the music takes a darker turn. Calm returns in “Light Without Heat,” with the signature BBT 12-string guitar, and lush harmonies. I know I will mention it again, but Rikard Sjoblom’s electric guitar playing on this album is absolutely exceptional – it’s melodic, lyrical and very affecting, colouring the songs and shifting the emotions.
Fans of 1970s European prog like Focus and PFM will really relish the instrumental “Cut and Run,” whose chaotic rush reflects our hero’s attempt to break free from his confusion and hold on to life! Themes reappear, and some amazing musical moments are packed into its 6 minutes, including some horns from Paul Mitchell, which really enhance the piece. When this chaos ends, we feel a pause, as if the Artist is shifting from this world to the next, the acoustic “Hawthorn White” moves us towards the two incredible closing tracks.
“Counting Stars” is probably the most BBT track on the album, being a Spawton/ Bravin piece with lyrics by Greg. Starting in his lower register for the 12-string led opening, Alberto saves himself for an octave shift for the second chorus, as the bass pedals kick in! It’s a world-class vocal performance and an incredible song. And just when you weren’t expecting it, there is a bridge sung by Greg himself! As a member of the BBT Passenger’s Club, Greg has shared some of his previous demos, usually accompanied by self-deprecating comments about his vocals – I’ve always disagreed with those and, in this case, the context is perfect for his tone. Next up, probably the guitar solo of 2026 – all I can say is check it out, and the interplay with NDV on drums in particular. The end of this track feels like the grand finale – you can almost see the crowd on their feet. But as the music continues, you realise, there’s more!
I could say so much about “Last Stand” musically – but I’ll let you listen to that when you hear it! As a lyrics guy, I really appreciate what’s happening in this track. The album could have ended with some sort of narrative conclusion, but the conclusion here is more of a philosophical one – and I don’t mean that to sound dull – it’s joyous and uplifting. The story of The Artist has been his striving for the unattainable land of the woodcut, and the lyrics here remind us: “Take each day not as it comes – make it new and make it your own… there’s gold in the skies, find it, keep moving on”. How many concept albums end on a whimper when the narrative doesn’t quite hold together? Well that’s not the case here – it’s brilliant!
Assuming you already know the band, you won’t need to be told that the album is sonically superb. Alberto Bravin debuts as producer and really is the “show runner”, to use a TV term, for this album. Rob Aubrey and he created the amazing stereo mix and, as a fan of the format, I am excited to hear the 5.1 mix! Also, a shout-out to the album artwork and design. Being entirely black and white, the imagery and layout fit extremely well with the overall concept, and Andy Stuart’s sleeve notes whet the appetite for his forthcoming book, Woodcut – The Making and the Meaning.
If The Likes Of Us was a re-establishment of BBT and step one of a new journey, Woodcut is a leap into the stratosphere. It’s the band you love, and all the things you love about them. Perhaps it is ironic that an album whose imagery is monochrome is actually a massive technicolour sonic experience with a wealth of emotion and feeling that will leave you wanting to go back to the start and listen again. My listening experience is that this album keeps revealing more and more of itself with each listen – and I know it will continue to do that. Most undoubtedly will be one of the best albums of 2026, and quite possibly the brightest star in the BBT catalogue (at least until the next album!)
Watch the recent Prog Report inteview with Alberto and Greg about the album here:
Released on Feb 6th, 2026 on InsideOutMusic
Order ‘Woodcut’ here: https://bigbigtrain.lnk.to/Woodcut-Album
The full track-listing is as follows:
1. Inkwell Black 00:56
2. The Artist 07:16
3. The Lie of the Land 02:55
4. The Sharpest Blade 04:16
5. Albion Press 05:46
6. Arcadia 05:46
7. Second Press 00:37
8. Warp and Weft 03:45
9. Chimaera 05:37
10. Dead Point 05:28
11. Light Without Heat 03:22
12. Dreams in Black and White 02:34
13. Cut and Run 06:19
14. Hawthorn White 01:54
15. Counting Stars 05:40
16. Last Stand 03:34
ALBERTO BRAVIN – Lead vocals, guitar, keyboards
NICK D’VIRGILIO – Drums, percussion, 12-string acoustic guitar, vocals
OSKAR HOLLDORFF – Keyboards, vocals
CLARE LINDLEY – Violin, acoustic guitar, vocals
PAUL MITCHELL – Trumpet, piccolo trumpet, vocals
RIKARD SJÖBLOM – Guitars, keyboards, vocals
GREGORY SPAWTON – Bass, bass pedals, 12-string acoustic guitar, Mellotron, vocals
