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3.0
Average of 2 reviews
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(Note: this review was actually penned in Jan 2022) So here I find myself, giving a listen to the most recent Big Big Train album that features David Longdon's vocals. Having just dropped last week, I've had limited time to immerse myself in it and form an opinion, both about the aforementioned statement and where it stands in the grand scheme of Big Big Train's discography. One thing's crystal clear: the band has been (and still is!) charting a new course with their last couple of albums. In my book, "Common Ground" and "Welcome To The Planet" are clearly breaking away from BBT's classic sound, setting the stage for... Well, who knows? Only time will tell. That said, especially with this "Welcome To The Planet," I feel these last two albums have turned out to be... segmented. To get a grasp of this, just give a listen to the thrilling "The Connection Plan," "A Room With No Ceiling," "Bats In The Belfry," and the emotionally charged yet dramatically over-the-top title track. Interestingly enough, these tracks are penned by D'Virgilio, Sjöblom (his song could easily fit into any Beardfish album), and Bryant, and they're not what you'd typically expect from a BBT album, which is usually steeped in British tradition and landscapes. You still get your fair share of that in the absolutely gorgeous "Capitoline Venus" (with Longdon channeling his inner Peter Gabriel in a masterful way), "Lanterna," "Proper Jack Froster," and, most notably, "Oak And Stone," these mainly written by Spawton. And that's a good thing: you can't have progressive rock without, well... progression. That being said, and as was the case with "Common Ground," "Welcome To The Planet" probably won't rank among my favorite BBT albums due to its aforementioned somewhat disjointed nature... Maybe it's too early to tell? Still, there's a wealth of fantastic music here to savor (especially Bryant's title track, which I've grown to adore!), wrapping up Longdon's tenure as BBT's frontman in an adventurous manner. Here's to what's next.
(Note: this review was actually penned in Jan 2022) So here I am, giving a spin to the most recent Big Big Train album that captures David Longdon's vocal contributions. Having just dropped last week, I've had limited time to immerse myself in it and form an opinion, both about the aforementioned statement and where it stands in the context of Big Big Train's broader discography. One thing is certain: the band has been (is!) steering towards a new direction with their last two albums, and in my view, "Common Ground" and "Welcome To The Planet" mark a departure from BBT's classic sound, setting the stage for... Well, time will tell. As such, particularly with this "Welcome To The Planet", I find that these last two albums have turned out to be... segmented. To grasp this, just listen to the exhilarating "The Connection Plan", "A Room With No Ceiling", "Bats In The Belfry", and the emotionally charged yet dramatically over-the-top title track. Interestingly, these tracks are penned by D'Virgilio, Sjöblom (his song could easily fit into any Beardfish album), and Bryant, and they're not what you'd typically expect from a BBT album, which usually draws from British traditions and landscapes. You still get a taste of that in the utterly gorgeous "Capitoline Venus" (with Longdon channeling his inner Peter Gabriel in a masterful way), "Lanterna", "Proper Jack Froster", and, most notably, "Oak And Stone", primarily written by Spawton. And that's a positive thing: you can't have progressive rock without, well... progress. That said, and similar to "Common Ground", "Welcome To The Planet" probably won't rank among my favorite BBT albums due to its aforementioned somewhat disjointed nature... Maybe it's premature to say? Still, there's a wealth of excellent music here to savor (especially Bryant's title track, which I've grown to adore!), wrapping up Longdon's tenure as BBT's frontman in an adventurous manner. Here's to what's next.
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| Date | Lowest price | Average price |
|---|---|---|
| 31 Dec 2025 | £26.99 | €26.99 |
| 21 Jan 2026 | £26.99 | €38.49 |