Westbound Train – Come and Get It

Apart from their frequent appearances on Hellcat’s Give Em The Boot comp series, which I enjoyed, I’d never actually heard Boston’s Westbound Train before. To me, they’re synonymous with fellowHellcat band The Aggrolites: injecting an inherent sense of fun and joy into the genre while carrying the banner of much of its traditional sonic roots. Which is the right angle to take – meaning, whileWestbound Train’s fourth full-length may not be the most lyrically introspective masterpiece, that’s not the point. The point is fun, is getting the dance floor jumping and using – unlike much of punk rock – the vocals as a vehicle for the music, rather than the other way around. While Obi Fernandez’s lead vocals – recalling the best of Desmond Dekker’s stuff – may be sweet as sugar, they serve mainly as icing on the cake that is the music to Come And Get It. The music takes front and center here, and for good reason: the band performs this shit seamlessly and make this collection of songs seem effortless. Dudes are so tight, it sounds as if they could play this stuff in their sleep.

While my personal knowledge of ska and reggae is limited as hell and mired in a healthy dose of ignorance, this shouldn’t reflect on the band at all. The lack of comparison is simply because I’m rarely exposed to traditional reggae and ska stuff of this caliber. I’ve just got very few points of reference. I do know that they’re incredibly good at what they do, and while the lyrical content (party tunes, lovesick laments and the like) doesn’t always do a whole lot for me, there’s no denying these dudes are an insanely talented and well-versed bunch. For me personally, Come And Get It will serve as one of those excellent summer records: not terribly challenging on the brainpan but goddamn, what a treat for the ears.