Okay, I have been oddly silent about this album since I got it last weekend.
If EE1's high rankings, rave reviews, and amazing critical response from fans around the world didn't already launch this still-not-quite-well-known band into Prog All-Star Status last year, this album will do it. EE1's praise may have amp'd up and hyped up the release of the album's sequel, which came out not long after the completion of the DPRP's famous annual poll, where Big Big Train made many of the tops of lists!
This album has everything on it - amazing vocals from Longdon (as usual), great drumming from NDV (who will be missed in SB, but that's another thread and review lol), and just more fantastic writing/performing by everyone in the band. I'll agree with Jaq above, the use of strings, winds and brass across this album is VERY effective and not over done to the point of sounding monotonous. Tracks 1, 5 and 7 have been stick-out songs for me - the opening epic is another monstrous BBT piece while "Keeper Of Abbeys" has that stunning middle section with the strings! And of course, the closing song is one of THE most beautiful pieces in prog I've heard to date, and one of my favorite BBT songs so far!
I'll be listening to this album for a week or so by itself before I go and listen to both parts of English Electric together to create the FULL effect. Speaking of which, the band themselves plan to release 3 more songs from these sessions that fit in the concept of the (double) album at some point, on an EP, then later on release ALL of the songs in a new full double album (or... at least I'm pretty sure that's what I read somewhere...).
-Marc.