photo credit: greg noire photography

It’s been a long road. Talk to any of the guys, and they’ll tell you themselves. The group saw a lot of personal turmoil, and amidst all of that, had to follow up their excellent debut LP, The Show. Well, fear not 265 faithful: The group’s sophomore album cycle is here in full swing. Last night, the group threw a listening party at the beautiful Wire Road Studios for a few inner circle folk, including their musical colleagues, artists, bloggers and close friends. James Kelley, once an EP and now a full-fledged LP, was the trophy on display. The food was plentiful, the drinks were flowing and the music showcased.

Hit the jump for the recap.

-grizzly

photo credit: greg noire photography

As we mentioned, spirits (a double entendre here, folks) were high. The group had provided a full spread for their house guests, including plenty of liquor for all to consume. Wire Road Studios is no bush-league studio. Easily Houston’s finest facility, the establishment is riding high with their recent hosting of a Trey Songz listening party, but this one was more special. The Niceguys were family and engineer James Kelley, after all, is who this album is named for. The group has mentioned that they owe a lot of their own personal progression to the guy, so what better way to tribute all of that than by naming an album after him?

photo credit: greg noire photography

Around 8:00 p.m., the group called everyone in to the actual recording facilities to grab a seat to listen to the project in its entirety. I’m sure it goes without saying that the sophomore slump is always something you want to avoid, but these guys maintained their musical talents and watered the plant carefully. So carefully, that the sophomore slump is pretty far out of the question. Frontman Yves Saint emceed the event with ease, instilling anecdotes before every song. Most of em lighthearted and humorous, which is just about the all-encompassing theme of the group. Free, Christolph and Candlestick sat amongst their peers, never to fail in trading jokes and barbs with each other.

photo credit: greg noire photography

Now, I’m somewhat obligated to do a review of the album here – but I’m not going to. I similarly feel obligated to keep most of it a secret, because the release date isn’t too far off. The album is loud and proud, and is destined to make these boys a mainstay in all of your respective collections. From top to bottom, the album is more of a cohesive unit than its predecessor, and that’s not to slight or take anything away from The Show. But that was two years ago, and it consisted of songs that could’ve been anywhere from 1-5 years old. They’ve moved onward and upward. James Kelley is full of interludes and instrumentals that make The Show‘s production a near memory – something that any artist should strive for.

photo credit: greg noire photography

On James Kelley, they’ve officially branched out. The group’s “us first” mentality was pushed aside and they’ve allowed outsiders to enter their Wire Road circle. Nick Greer shows up on the record (again), as does Wire Road’s Hazy Ray. But the real kicker is that there are actual rap features on this album, and the Houston elite in Bun B and Slim Thug make their presence felt on “Ari Gold (Remix)” and “Married to the MOB,” respectively. They’ve incorporated MORE genres into their music, taking and molding aspects of chillwave (yes, seriously), orchestral arrangements and fuckin’ tambourines like it’s second nature. [ed note: Full album review will come along with the album’s release on 9.11]

After the album finished, the group treated the crowd to a lengthy preview of their upcoming video, “Magick” (with a K, because “it’s their illuminati song,” as per Christolph) which should be dropping sooner than later. But more importantly, they called for a large huddle – the biggest I’ve personally been in. Grateful and personable they are, as they didn’t fail to wholeheartedly thank and toast the crowd for coming out and supporting them, and supporting something that they’ve been holding onto for months now – and will unleash on September 11th.

Check out the photo gallery. Huge shout out and much thanks goes out to Greg from Greg Noire Photography for hooking us up.

http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=109615

[ed note: We’re really happy to be a part of these dudes’ journey to James Kelley. From always hooking us up with shows to making sure we’re kept in the loop with album previews, studio sessions and of course – the booze – we definitely are grateful. James Kelley, September 11th. -g]