Big Big Train - English Electric Pt One (Eer/Gep)
Moving down to the ten best albums of 2012, in number ten we have the
first part of the English Electric by the ever crafty Big Big Train. This is the second album with Nick D'Virgilio on Drums and David Longdon on Vocals, and essentially the first record that the new members had a real creative input. The album is musically very close to its predecessor, but at the same time is the more approachable of the two English Electric releases (the second released in 2013), having no song exceed the 10 minute mark. The album achieves that without compromising its artistic integrity or becoming more simple but by compressing its artistry into pieces that are shorter but definitely not less proggy than they should.
Going in a track by track exploration, "The First Rebreather" is an amazing opener with nods to Genesis and with amazing lyrics and pioneering storytelling. "Uncle Jack" is an off-beat tune with banjo excerpts in it. "Winchester from St. Giles' Hill" is easily among the finest tunes of the album with jazzy guitars and vocal arrangements lending themselves to recount one hell of a story. "Judas Unrepentant" is more mellow and again alludes to Genesis without loosing the band's individual identity. "Summoned by Bells" begins with a piano arpeggio before reinventing itself through the use of cello, doo-wap b-vox and recorders with an emotional outro with King Crimson influences abundant throughout. "Upton Hill"is quirky with cello sounds giving it a unique a distinct vibe. "A Boy in Darkness" is a powerful and emotional piece with D'Virgilio leading the way and again one of the best moments of the album Hedgerow has a Beatles feel with amazing vocal lines, slow guitars and violin arrangements leading to an explosive progressive piece which might also qualify as one o the best progressive songs of the year. An incredible end to an incredibly consistently awesome album which, at least for me, is probably the best in the long career of Big Big Train and a true masterpiece equal to very few others in the 21st century.
95/100
Below is the band performing Judas Unrepentant live and an audio clip of Hedgerow
Going in a track by track exploration, "The First Rebreather" is an amazing opener with nods to Genesis and with amazing lyrics and pioneering storytelling. "Uncle Jack" is an off-beat tune with banjo excerpts in it. "Winchester from St. Giles' Hill" is easily among the finest tunes of the album with jazzy guitars and vocal arrangements lending themselves to recount one hell of a story. "Judas Unrepentant" is more mellow and again alludes to Genesis without loosing the band's individual identity. "Summoned by Bells" begins with a piano arpeggio before reinventing itself through the use of cello, doo-wap b-vox and recorders with an emotional outro with King Crimson influences abundant throughout. "Upton Hill"is quirky with cello sounds giving it a unique a distinct vibe. "A Boy in Darkness" is a powerful and emotional piece with D'Virgilio leading the way and again one of the best moments of the album Hedgerow has a Beatles feel with amazing vocal lines, slow guitars and violin arrangements leading to an explosive progressive piece which might also qualify as one o the best progressive songs of the year. An incredible end to an incredibly consistently awesome album which, at least for me, is probably the best in the long career of Big Big Train and a true masterpiece equal to very few others in the 21st century.
95/100
Below is the band performing Judas Unrepentant live and an audio clip of Hedgerow
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