Being presented to a nationwide audience beginning in 2003 with Searching for a Melody, Westbound Train arrived replete with soulful vocals unmatched in ska since, perhaps, its inception nearly forty years earlier. Having properly trained musicians, who honed their craft at Berklee probably didn't hurt too much either. But as the band sought to expand its base outside of Boston, it found a likely companion in King Django who's seen fit to appear on a few of the band's albums.

After another disc in 2005, Westbound Train took an immense step forward by signing to Epitaph subsidiary Hellcat Records and releasing Transitions - which could still be considered the group's definitive statement.

The one constant criticism that can be levied upon the group, though, is that some of the up tempo tracks sound a bit laughable - like the cartoonish image of ska that was perpetuated during that latter portion of the '90s. But even if these faster tracks - which they avoid for the most part on Come and Get It - leave the band at times appearing like a group of dilettantes, they aren't. Having the musical ability to traffic in each Jamaican strain of music from ska-jazz to reggae and dancehall has solidified the group's renown.

Apart from that criticism, at times, singer and trombonist Obie Fernandez embraces too fully his love of soul music. And even if his band is filled with folks that are more than capable of turning on the Motown charm, it doesn't always come off perfectly. Other albums sport this faux pas and here on this newest release, "What You Need" ramps up this quotient a bit beyond the recommended dosage. The track isn't beneath the band musically, but it is without question an obvious odd ball. On "So Many Things a Man Can Say," the band appropriates a Sam Cooke track as well. Despite Fernandez's vocal abilities, though, the track seems forced and only makes listeners lust after some more ska tracks.

At some past point in time, I interviewed Fernandez and he commented upon the fact that if you listen to a Skatalites track from '62, the band is really rocking on two chords and that Westbound Train complicates things - in a good way. That's all too evident on "Critical Ska," which can easily be figured as an updated classic. Everything from the drum fills to the non stop horn solos makes this not only an instrumental standout, but a song to be considered classic in the years to come.

That might seem overblown. And maybe it is, but that doesn't mean it's false. With the genre still floundering to a certain extent, some folks have begun to realize that the only way to get these tunes out is some old DIY ethics and a van. Thankfully, this band has been able to get together with a relatively stable label in order to dispense some true ska. If Come and Get It serves as your introduction to the sound of Westbound Train, it's still wholly representative of their catalog - and maybe even a bit better.