The latest album 'Ingenious Devices' of 'Big Big Train' released in 2023, was not strictly speaking a new original album but rearranged compositions with a string section which had been recorded by the group adding the vocals of 'David Longdon', deceased tragically in 2021. Therefore, with 'The Likes of Us' we now have in our hands the first album without David and the question is whether 'Big Big Train' was able to continue its journey without the iconic singer and again to give us some very good progressive rock. No need to make you languish, the answer is a resounding YES!!
We are welcomed by 'Light Left in The Day' which introduces us to the sweet voice of the new singer 'Alberto Bravin' but which quickly gives way to a magnificent instrumental which reminds me in certain places of the melodic lines of 'Mostly Autumn' and which continues in symphonic progressive rock with rich arrangements on a catchy melody, then, without transition, 'Oblivion' which was the first single released for this album (see the video above), offers us very beautiful vocal harmonies while continuing in a delicate and cheerful atmosphere. Arrives the 17 minutes of 'Beneath the Masts' which is a progressive labyrinth in which the listener is taken into numerous melodic, rhythmic and intensity changes which require several listens to fully absorb and which benefits from a finale magnificent epic symphonic. To recover from this long development, 'Skates On' is a fairly short and more direct composition with a tempo which makes you want to gently sway to the rhythm of the very endearing melody, the vocal harmonies still being there to fill us, then, the 10 minutes of 'Miramare' continue in this refined progressive which begins with choruses à la 'Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young' and which delivers us a very beautiful melody, 'Alberto Bravin' demonstrating all his vocal talent by modulating his voice beautiful way between the calm ambiances and the more powerful parts and this title also offers a remarkable finale filled with palpable emotion (see the video here). Alternatingly, 'Love Is The Light' is a magnificent less progressive ballad with a beautiful melancholic introduction brought by the violin of 'Clare Lindley' and which unfolds a melody on which we are delicately lulled by the singing of Alberto Bravin' which shows still his ability to mix his chest voice with his head voice admirably, the vocal arrangements in the finale being also remarkable and will undoubtedly make the audience sing in concert (see the video here). With 'Bookmarks', we continue with a new ballad which is a real melodic gem and which further raises the emotional slider, which makes it one of my favourites of the album, then, the last track of the album ' Last Eleven' is a pure gem of imaginative progressive with a more sought-after construction and changes of tempo and intensity throughout this composition in which each artist brings his or her stone to the building. Note that the cover of 'Miramare' in a short version (almost 9 minutes!) concludes this magnificent album.
In summary, 'Big Big Train' shows that they were able to recover from the death of 'David Longdon' in a very good way and the former singer, from above, must be proud of his friends and of this new creative impulse which drives the group because 'The Likes of Us' is the best tribute to their former singer because it has all the assets to join the ideal discotheque of any fan of progressive rock... | |
