Westbound Train

Come and Get It wears its soul smartly on its sleeve; Westbound Train's second album for Hellcat is a powerhouse of American vintage soul songwriting. The band continue their mixed bag of old school Jamaican horn ska, retro Motown and early reggae but everything sounds tighter, sweeter and better. Obi Fernandez's smoky vocals and the band's fat horn section are the stars here, with Fernandez playing Marvin Gaye's long-lost brother on ballad "Ain't Gonna Be Easy" and tipping the hat to Sam Cooke on "So Many Things A Man Can Say." Bouncy homages to the Skatalites, such as "Why You Cry" and "Critical Ska," balance the slower numbers but the cream of the crop comes in the Train's rudie-styled vintage reggae: the brooding "Check Your Time," the thumping "Come and Get It" and the incomparable "If Only." Don't pass this up; it's sure to register as one of the year's top reggae releases.