Westbound Train

Salvation MP3 [off of Come and Get It]

I apologize for the poor sound quality in both videos, and reccomend you listen to the mp3's instead.

Westbound Train is a band, who, when queried for the genre, I usually say "The perfect sunday morning music". They're locals to the Boston area, though they are slowly spreading their name elsewhere. They've toured much of the U.S., and recently made their way through Europe. They will be on this summers Warped tour, adding another band to the list of bands I would love to see at Warped, but don't feel like swimming through scores of teenagers to do so.

They have a smooth soulful groove, embraced and supported with a laid-back, but full-force horn line, that provides everything from funk lines to skankin' reggae beats. The casual vocals of Obi Fernandez [also the band's trombonist] lead the bands easy to listen style, and assist the calm style of the band as a whole. His vocal style reveals something that is extremely important to me: that he truly feels his lyrics, that they are deep inside of him.

I first encountered them 4 years ago, as a opener for Streetlight Manifesto and Reel Big Fish at a concert in Massachusetts. I've been hooked ever since, and find their music to be perfect for a relaxing day, whether your focusing on their hip casual sound, or letting it roll in the background to whatever you're doing.

I'm No Different MP3 [Off of Transitions]

I bring them up today because I just got their most recent album [Released April 21st], titled Come As You Are, and I have been playing it in the background all morning. I had been listening to their previous album, Transitions, on my commute when I remembered there was some new material to investigate, and it does not disappoint. Moving swiftly from soul to funk to 60's style ska/reggae to groove the album contains easy harmonies and smooth, full sounding horns. They have a soulful feel that you rarely hear today, and an infectious feel that you can't help but enjoy. Their cohesive sound is just that: cohesive. The band works together, and blends together perfectly, providing a smooth, easy sound that is far from vanilla.

Band Website
Download Come and Get it: amazon || itunes
Download Transitions: amazon || itunes