WASSAIL

Another fine melodic progressive effort from Big Big Train, who have established themselves these days as one of the best in the business. With the "Wassail" ep, we have 3 solid new songs, plus a live version of "Master James of St. George", from "The Underfall Yard". Of the three new songs, 2 are vocal and one instrumental. Of the 2 vocal tracks, I really like "Lost Rivers of London", which, with its interesting chord changes and rhythm variations, I find to be the better of the two. The melodies here are heartfelt and unique. 'Wassail' is good, but a bit more of a straightforward rock approach. Great keyboard playing and nice instrumental breaks do make this opening track a satisfying listen as well. What's really nice, is to have an instrumental here, in "Mudlarks", which represents a bit of a departure in sound for BBT, with almost jazzy chordings, but retaining the strong sense of melody BBT are known for. Of these three tracks, in some ways, each track is a bit more interesting than the previous, which makes for a nice listening progression. In all, another fine effort not far removed from the wonderful "English Electric" albums, and one I would certainly recommend as a pleasing teaser to the next full length release.