Westbound Train:Transitions

I'm Sorry Mama I never meant to make you dance, so tonight I'm cleanin out my closet.

Reviewed by: Pete

Listen to this album without tapping your feet and swaying a little. I freakin dare you. Of course you couldn't do it. Westbound Train is the real deal. They took elements of ska / reggae / soul /motown /blues and funkified it. No distorted guitars or crazy drum parts. Just good old fashion jamming.

The record opens with a great ska tune in "Please Forgive Me", which starts you off on a trip around several different genres. Not trapping themselves into any conventions is the best thing a band can do, it ensures that nothing is ever stale or overplayed. Westbound Train has mastered that concept. In "Good Enough" there is a distinctly traditional reggae feel, but the very next track "For The First Time" feels like a Stevie Wonder song (both in music and lyrics). A few tracks later, when "I'm No Different" starts out, I don't think anyone would have been surprised if Sam Cooke started singing instead of the regular singer. (Who, incidentally, is Obi Fernandez). "I'm Gone" sounds like a blues song played in Jamaica, which plays directly into the big band style horns of the next track "The Runaround" which features a great rapping verse focused on the slight imperfections of the singers voice, which make it sound awesome.

When it comes to musicianship these guys ain't no joke. There are two mostly instrumental tracks, "Soul Revival" being the superior. It is just a fun, organ driven dance song with occasional one line inspirations such as "No time for prayin' only time for layin' baby".

The song goes on and dares you not to "feel the power" of the Soul Revival. I, for one, am now a soul revivalist. It was the saxophone solo.



The album comes to a close with two slower offerings: "When I Die" which features an even better saxophone solo! And an extremely catchy horn part that will have you whistling along immediately. The final track is the six minute soul jam "Travel On" which eases you out of the last hour of excitement. A fantastic song with some added female vocal parts put a cap on a great record.

Not a flawless release, but a really goddamn fun album to listen to and enjoy. Get it.

Westbound Train

Transitions

released 2006