Guitars, Drums, Tones, and Saxophones

Westbound Train - Come and Get It

Boston’s Westbound Train have been keeping the trad-ska/reggae faith for a few years now, releasing three albums, the most recent- 2006′s Transitions- was released on Hellcat Records. Their classic sound, mixed with a deep love of classic soul (seeing them live, one is all but guaranteed to hear singer Obi Fernandez ask the audience if they like soul music), calls to mind current acts like the Slackers and the Allstonians, but with more of a keen eye on the roots; these guys love the originators of ska, reggae, and soul, and are proud to carry on their traditions.

So here they are, with their fourth album, and second for Hellcat.

2009 finds the band in fine shape. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve slacked some in getting to know their back catalog; my first exposure to the band was the Ska is Dead! comp, and seeing them live at a Pietasters show in Boston. Their live energy is infectious enough that I pledged not to miss a show of theirs. The point to this digression is that, before listening to the album, I already knew the words to opener “I Don’t Belong Here.” So some of these songs have been kicking around for at least a year. Likewise, the song “Salvation” originally appeared on their debut album (on Megalith Records), Searching for a Melody.

Aside from “Salvation,” though, all the songs here are all new for this record. And the band’s already-strong songwriting has gotten better and better with each release, so songs like the title track, the aforementioned “I Don’t Belong Here,” “Check Your Time,” among others are destined to become fan favorites. The choruses beg to be sang in unison with the band, and a crowd of delerious fans (which about sums up their recent release shows for this album in their home town). The band deftly switches gears between soul (“Ain’t Gonna Be East”), reggae (“Check Your Time”) and classic ska (“Why You Cry”), and particularly on the ska tracks, sounds like they would have fit right in recording with the Skatalites.

Overall, this is a particularly strong effort from a band with an already-excellent catalog. This band- and record- is definitely worth your time.

Tags: westbound train