Westbound Train--Transitions

My media player labels them "reggae" from the second I pop in the CD, which I feel is the quickest judgment rendered on a piece of music. Sure it has reggae influences, and perhaps it will be thrown in the reggae pile, but there is just as much jazz, ska, and blues influences to be found in Westbound Train’s third release (first non-independently). Aptly named Transitions represents the septet’s move to a label, but to a listener they sound like a tight group that’s hardly in transition. In a fusion of soul, blues, and reggae, tunes such as "Please Forgive Me" are catchy licks with wonderful foundations of ska lacing the vocals. "For The First Time" picks up a jazzy beat to vocals singing of lyrical hardship, "Everyone has got a point of view / But who is right or wrong remains to be seen." A jazz-trumpet solo brings the piece together in a beat that is hard to sit still to. "Fatty Boom Boom" (best name, ever) features even more trumpet pieces, along with reggae vocals that hint at touches of ska. The album closes with the hypnotic "Travel On," a slower song that is much heavier on reggae grooves, and ends the album on a high note. After the release of Transitions, Westbound Train will tour with The Toasters, The Mighty Might Bosstones, Reel Big Fish, and The Skatalites. Transitions is an infusion of reggae, blues, soul, ska, and jazz to the effect that the individual genres are difficult to separate from the others. A wonderful transition from Westbound Train.

(Published at MusicEmissions.com)