Westbound Train sounds like a vintage soul revue that took a detour through Kingston, Jamaica. While their peers in the early 2000s ska scene were often chasing frantic tempos and distorted guitars, this band leaned into the pocket, prioritizing the smooth, swinging rhythms of 1960s rocksteady and the emotional weight of American R&B. It is music that feels lived-in, characterized by rich brass sections and a rhythm section that breathes.
What truly sets them apart is the vocal delivery of Obi Fernandez, whose croon carries a grit and vulnerability more akin to Otis Redding than a typical third-wave ska frontman. The production often favors an analog warmth that makes the songs feel like long-lost 45s found in a dusty crate, yet the songwriting remains sharp and contemporary. They capture the specific tension between heartbreak and the urge to keep dancing.
Start with the album 'Transitions' to hear them at their most cohesive. It perfectly balances their traditional ska roots with their soul ambitions, offering a gateway into a sound that is as much about the space between the notes as the notes themselves.
Westbound Train is a ska band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 2001. Their name originates from the Dennis Brown hit song by the same name. Westbound Train released their first album, Searching for A Melody, in 2002. The band self-released their second album, Five to Two, in 2005, which featured guest appearances from Alex Desert of Hepcat and King Django. The album was re-released by Stomp Records on March 14, 2006. Westbound Train were featured on the Hellcat Records compilation Give 'Em the Boot IV in November 2004. In January 2006, Hellcat announced that they had signed the band. A third full-length, titled Transitions, was released in September 2006. Westbound Train played the Summer of Ska tour in the summer of 2006, along with Suburban Legends, Big D and the Kids Table, Voodoo Glow Skulls, and Catch 22. Westbound Train also played the Fall of Ska tour in the fall of 2006, along with Reel Big Fish, Streetlight Manifesto, and Suburban Legends.
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