Big Big Train – Woodcut: An Album That Feels Like a Sunrise
There are albums you admire, albums you respect… and then there are albums that open something up inside you. Woodcut, the new album from Big Big Train, very firmly sits in that last category for me.
This is Big Big Train’s 16th studio album, and their second with vocalist Alberto Bravin, and it feels like a band completely at ease with who they are, what they want to say, and how they want to say it. More than that, Woodcut is a fully realised concept album, not just musically but artistically and literarily too.
Formed in the early 1990s, Big Big Train have quietly become one of the most consistent and emotionally resonant progressive rock bands of the last three decades. Their music blends classic British prog, folk influences, pastoral imagery and modern songwriting craft. Over the years they’ve built a fiercely loyal audience, not by chasing trends, but by trusting atmosphere, melody and storytelling.
Woodcut continues that tradition — and arguably deepens it.
The Concept: From Negative to Positive
The central idea behind Woodcut is beautifully simple and deeply symbolic. A woodcut print begins as a negative image, only becoming fully realised when pressed into something positive. That idea runs through the album — transformation, perspective, and light emerging from darkness.
This concept is expanded further through a companion book, The Magical and Mysterious World of the Woodcut, with text by Andy Stuart, extracts of which also appear in the album packaging. It turns Woodcut into more than just an album — it’s a complete artistic world.
The Band Line-Up on Woodcut
The musicianship across this record is absolutely superb. The current Big Big Train line-up is:
Alberto Bravin – lead vocals
Gregory Spawton – bass, acoustic guitar, Mellotron
Nick D’Virgilio – drums, percussion, vocals
Rikard Sjöblom – electric guitars, keyboards, vocals
Oskar Holldorff – keyboards, piano
Clare Lindley – violin, acoustic guitar, vocals
Paul Mitchell – trumpet, piccolo trumpet
Brian Hulse – cello
Musical Highlights (Track Impressions)
Rather than listing everything mechanically, here’s how the album feels as it unfolds.
“Inkwell / Black Woodcut” opens the album in orchestral fashion, with strings immediately setting a cinematic tone. Clare Lindley’s violin work is more prominent here than ever, and it’s glorious.
“The Artist” brings bubbling bass, Hammond textures, flutes and a wonderful vocal from Alberto Bravin. It’s classic Big Big Train — melodic, thoughtful, and deeply satisfying.
“The Lie of the Land” is short, uplifting and Mellotron-rich. Proof that you don’t need long runtimes to make something emotionally potent.
“The Sharpest Blade” leans into an almost Celtic, jig-like feel, with shades of Loreena McKennitt in its melodic sensibility. The way it grows heavier towards the end is beautifully judged.
“Albian Press” hits harder — driving bass, tight drums, power chords and one of the album’s strongest choruses.
“Arcadia” genuinely sounds like a sunrise. Soft vocals, delicate guitar picking, violin lines that feel almost weightless — it’s stunning.
“Second Press” is a brief instrumental interlude for violin and cello, acting like a breath before the album moves into darker, more complex territory.
“Warp and Weft” introduces angular rhythms, shifting vocals and a touch of Gentle Giant-like complexity, complete with fabulous synth and guitar solos.
“Deadpoint” and “Light Without Heat” dig deep emotionally, with layered vocals, expressive guitar work and moments that quietly stop you in your tracks.
“Cut and Run” is the prog fan’s dream: instrumental, intricate, jazz-tinged, heavy and adventurous. If you want one track that defines Big Big Train’s progressive credentials, this is it.
“Hawthorn White” and “Counting Stars” slow everything down again — piano, violin, acoustic guitars and one utterly gorgeous chorus.
“Last Stand” closes the album in epic fashion. A towering guitar solo, massive choral feel, and a finale that feels like it’s being sung by a thousand voices on a mountaintop. Arms-in-the-air stuff.
Woodcut is an album full of hope, human emotion, and light. It doesn’t shy away from darkness, but it refuses to stay there. In a world that often feels overwhelming, this is music that lifts, reassures, and reminds you why you fell in love with albums in the first place.
If you’re already a Big Big Train fan, this is essential.
If you’ve never heard them before, Woodcut is a perfect place to begin — and then work backwards.
A truly magnificent release.
ORDER BIG BIG TRAIN WOODCUT ON VINYL
ORDER BIG BIG TRAIN WOODCUT ON CD / BLURAY
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
