Review: Big Big Train – Woodcut
Style: Progressive rock (Clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Jethro Tull, Yes, IQ
Country: UK
Release date: 6 February 2026
“Good work takes time.” I find this proverb applies to music as well, making me wary of bands that churn out new albums way too fast. Rays of brilliance may shine through, but more often than not, they’re obscured by clouds of hasty mediocrity.1 On this note, even though my introduction to Big Big Train was really quite positive, I’ve begun to gradually lose interest in the band’s yearly dose of 70s nostalgia. And I know, I’m being unfair here: last year, Big Big Train only issued a live album. Still, the band‘s rapid and predictable release cycle makes me think of them as a Big Big Shinkanzen. But has the extra production time led to a record that rekindles my excitement, or will Woodcut be the station I finally disembark at?
The first thing that strikes me as I spin up Woodcut is its crystal-clear production. Despite the packed instrumentation, we’ve got none of that “wall of sound” nonsense; instead, the mix could be described more like a “forest of sound”, thick as a brick. But for a forest to grow thick, light needs to reach the ground, and thankfully, plenty of warm light shines through the layers of Woodcut’s ecosystem. From the mycelia of the strings and the intricate roots of the drums, through the Hammond shrubs and hefty bass trunks, to the guitar canopy inhabited by various songbirds of wind instruments, every niche of the lush orchestration is allowed to grow strong, organically intertwined in mutualist symbiosis.
But what kind of songs spring from these sonic woods? As Woodcut is the first concept album of Big Big Train, the band took a more functional approach to songwriting than on previous records. Every song has its own identity, contains at least one twist to keep hold of my attention, and ends the moment it serves its purpose. There are no fifteen-minute epics of stylistic wild-goose chases; indeed, the true opener “The Artist”, which is the longest track on the album, does everything I want from a prog rock song in a lean seven minutes. Gentle guitars and soothing flute lay down a splendid foundation, from which tasty bass licks and alternating rhythms build up to a syncopated crescendo, followed by a delicate outro that smoothly transitions into “The Lie of the Land”.
As one might have inferred from my subtle allusions, Big Big Train clearly took a lot of inspiration from Jethro Tull in Woodcut’s first half. The more narrative-focused songs of the latter half, on the other hand, are reminiscent of the musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber. One may also spot the influence of various other artists as the record unfolds. “The Sharpest Blade” benefits greatly from its folky arrangements, while the bluesy riffing of “Albion Press” rushes into dreamy theatrics over avalanche-like drum fills; and yes, “Warp and Weft”, with its 7/8 stride and quirky a capella, is surely a gentle nod to the more experimental giants of the 70s. Should I be more immersed in the music of the time, I could likely cite half its pantheon in Woodcut. Alas, I mostly listen to bands who borrow heavily from those early pioneers of prog; therefore, I’m hearing Dream Theater, Haken, Road Salt-era Pain of Salvation, and Ayreon. However, while those bands all aspired to break new ground, Big Big Train seems to be content to traverse along familiar rails. In fact, there is barely a moment on this record that doesn’t make me feel like I’ve heard it before. I constantly get the impression that if I exerted my brain, I might be able to identify not just the band, but the album and the song that inspired a given moment, causing a never-ending sense of auditory déja vu.
Additionally, Woodcut doesn’t escape the common pitfall of concept albums, that some songs are only needed for the story, not the album itself. This tendency is especially prominent during the second half, heavy with slower, monologuing pieces. If one’s invested in the plot, these tracks might be essential—otherwise, they just become filler. And while each of those songs is arranged, performed, and produced beautifully, too often does the composition fall back on musical clichés that grow old quickly. To break up the ensuing tedium, Big Big Train typically throws in a guitar or keyboard solo, which are at least quite impressive, measuring out feeling and technique in equal portions. In the closer “Last Stand”, the band finally remembers to introduce some much-needed gravitas by amping up the intensity with grandiose orchestration, passionate vocals, and a more dramatic reprise of the main theme from “The Artist”; but it’s too little too late, ending Woodcut rather abruptly.
Once again, Big Big Train has written an expertly composed and masterfully phrased love letter to 70s prog rock that will surely warm the hearts of die-hard fans of the genre. For everyone else, Woodcut will be a pleasant listen that’s ultimately too long and too unoriginal to become memorable. Personally, I fall somewhere in between: I did have a good time listening to Woodcut after all, despite its missteps. As of this moment, I’m still onboard, though the length of my journey remains to be seen; nonetheless, Big Big Train will surely rattle on unstoppably, delivering quality nostalgia, which is progressive in style but not in spirit.
Recommended tracks: The Artist, Warp and Weft, Cut and Run
You may also like: Pattern Seeking Animals, Imminent Sonic Destruction, Southern Empire, Rikard Sjöblom’s Gungfly
Final verdict: 6/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook
Label: InsideOutMusic
Big Big Train is:
– 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, Wurilitzer and Fender Rhodes electric pianos, Hammond organ, Mellotron, synthesiszers, 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)
- I’m looking at you, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. ↩︎
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