There are moments in the history of the progressive rock universe which are epochal. Acts which rise, or descend/fall, after a critical component of what made them successful in the first place leave. Gabriel (and subsequently Hackett) left Genesis, and it all turned out rather well, artistically and commercially for all concerned. Anderson was booted out of Yes, and that was nowhere near as successful. Fish left Marillion, and I think they climbed post Season’s End to incredible artistic highs, if never matching their earlier commercial success. Hodgson left Davies and Supertramp, and it was a fair old disaster, certainly for the remaining band.
The change which has been forced on Big Big Train was simply awful, with the tragic loss of their talismanic lead singer. My understanding is that parking the engine in the sidings of a museum was never seriously contemplated, certainly David’s wife was active in her support of Spawton & all continuing. Her artwork for this album is, as ever, lovely.
Therefore, a new lead singer was required, and it came as a bit of a surprise that they plumped for an Italian, former PFM vocalist Alberto Bravin. I have not had the pleasure of seeing him live but enjoyed Atlantic Cable on Ingenious Devices. I approached The Likes Of Us, though, with some trepidation, alongside, I know, many other long term Train fans.
To me, the key when you have someone new, in such a critical role, is that the change brings something different, something fresh, progressing the band as opposed to becoming in effect a tribute band, a la Yes since Anderson left. Basically, any attempt by an Italian vocalist to take off an archetypal English vocalist such as Longdon, no matter how good the voice, was always going to end in tears as far as I was concerned.
Well, let us set the narrative straight and clear right from the off. Any such concerns were utterly misplaced. What shines so brightly about this album is that it is new, it is fresh, it is the sound of a band united in their desire, after so many recent changes, in taking themselves in an exciting new direction whilst retaining much of what made us love them in the first place, especially that unique sense of Englishness Spawton especially exudes in his music, even with the multi-national nature of the project. Bravin complements this, and his is a special voice. I think that in some ten years’ time, we will see this album as an important one, not their best, but a vital first step towards great things to come.
A quick word about the whole band. New keyboardist Oskar Holldorff is a member of Dim Gray, whose debut album in 2022 Firmament was a favourite of mine. He brings a great deal to this party, hugely talented. Prog fans will have enjoyed Dave Foster’s guitar work with Steve Rothery and Panic Room, whilst Clare Lindley wears the critical violin and vocals clothing with aplomb – she had some huge shoes to fill. The contributions of D’Virgilio, Sjöblom to this band and progressive music in general are too well known and respected to spend many words of repetition. Lastly, a mention of an important label development – this is the band’s first album signed to the ubiquitous Inside Out.
So, as is usual on this little website of mine, let’s discuss the music in more detail. Incidentally, for those of you new to this website, please note it is not my practice to read or view reams of interviews to ascertain song meanings – I prefer my own take on these, even if they are wide of the mark, because the best music always lends itself to personal interpretations and emotions.
It is no accident of mixing that opener, Light Left in the Day, has Bravin’s voice right from the off, no instrumental intro at all. The voice and guitar recall a perfect pastoral late English summer’s evening, an effect enhanced by the welcome sound of the BBT brass ensemble. The guitar burst and violin are sumptuous before the keys announce their entrance (and develop some questing sounds as the song moves on) to the fray in a track which can only be described as classic BBT, the rhythm section never sounding as good, with D’Virgilio’s jazz-laden drums and Spawton’s melodic bass.
As good as the opener is, Oblivion which follows grabbed me from the first listen and has simply gotten better each spin. There is a video to enjoy below. It was from the outset the vocal harmonies which grabbed me, the urgency of the music, the collective determined to put across a joyous noise. The lyrics pose questions as to the nature of mortality and what might follow our passing, and there is a hard edge to much of this. A thought. Listening to it, you would think this lineup had been recording for years together, that is how comfortable they are in each other’s musical company.
There are two epic tracks here, and Beneath The Masts is the longest, clocking in at seventeen and a half minutes. It is a joy to listen to, from the pastoral guitar, piano, violin, percussion to the closing mellotron infused chords. The tale of seabound voyaging and exploration is rooted in the English acoustic rock tradition, and one is very much reminded, as often with BBT music, of the strong influence Wind & Wuthering era Genesis has on this fine band. As the first half closes, and the protagonists come up for air, the dirty organ announces a tempo change and the second half is a highlight not just of 2024, but of this fine band’s entire discography. There is a great guitar riff accompanied by a violin solo, and the harder edge we detect in this album comes pulsating through in a classic rock segment, the band showing again they can do this as well as any Genesis or Tull album of yore. This gives way to a final five minutes in which we are taken to new musical highs, some soaring keys take the breath away before matters calm down and the core beauty of this wonderful band’s music reasserts itself, Bravin proving beyond all reasonable doubt just how well he fits in with this, with stars coming out and the night filled with wonder, the explosion of noise a joy to behold as we move to the denouement. Breathtaking and beautiful as he screams out, we are home again, and the guitar wails with sheer emotion. It will be a special track indeed which beats this as my “epic of the year” come my year end awards.
Skates On is evocative, the need to enjoy our lives whilst we can because we never know what is around the corner in a song which must have had Longdon at its heart when it was written. My own impending partial retirement is happening because I want to get my skates on and live my life to the full whilst I can, with the memory of my childhood playing outside as opposed to gawping at a screen still strong in a track which looks backwards and forwards simultaneously.
Miramare (the second epic), is in Trieste, so here we have a meaningful nod to Bravin’s origins. The video is embedded below, and it clearly references the Habsburg castle of the town. The seaborne adventures overarching theme of the album is brought back to the fore, with the hope of the love the pilot left behind, lost behind an empire of clouds, keeping him going. Hidden within the music is, I think, a deep nod to theatrical musicals, and there is a nice wall of sound produced in the mid-section, with some fine Romany orchestration before the edgier rock comes bounding back with some fine urgent guitar riffs.
Love Is The Light has a video which is also embedded below. Note how well Bravin, Lindley, & D’Virgilio harmonise together, the stirring brass, gorgeous acoustic guitar, and the incredible high notes the new singer treats us to in a rather lovely song which expands very nicely as it progresses. About as perfect a pastoral rock track as you are going to hear all year, and as perfect a view of a band at ease with itself in pictures as well, with the harmonies set against the backdrop of the sea as it closes.
Bookmarks follows, with the children hiding in the long grass, coming home late in a very reflective piece of music, vocal heavy in the manner of much of the past couple of albums released. I love the mellotron and the wider keys which evoke a key sense of a lost childhood, underneath it all a hugely understated drum riff by the master of the skins.
We close the album proper with Last Eleven, which has such a nod to Dance on the Volcano so as not to be accidental in any way, shape, or form. There are some strong points, especially the incredible bassline performed by Spawton, the violin leading the charge, the harmonies, and it is always welcome to hear a mellotron at the heart of a song, but I think this is perhaps the weakest song on the album, perhaps a track too far because it doesn’t add anything to the work and feels a little bit laboured to these ears, something that you certainly can’t accuse any of the rest of the album.
BBT are one of the premier progressive bands on the planet, in terms of modern acts probably second only to Marillion in their reach beyond the core listenership. This album is a new beginning, and it is to be hoped we get stability for a while, because I think the album holds within it the promise of even greater things to come.
A pleasant and welcome surprise and an album which will deservedly feature in virtually every critic’s top ten list of 2024 and not merely because of the name of the band.