It is a testament to the talent inherent in Big Big Train, not to mention the deep loyalty they inspire in their fans (the likes of which I haven’t seen since Marilliion burst on the scene) that a new vocalist, replacing the tragic loss of David Longden, in Italian Alberto Bravin, was able to come in, and as a collective they produced in The Likes of Us, an album which I have come to regard as one of the finest in their canon.

From this, the superlative Beneath the Masts, a song infused with the spirit of maritime exploration, is the third joint winner of “epic track of 2024”, a joy from start to finish.