photo credit: todd spoth

If you know me, you know I’ve stood by these guys for years. There’s no need to make it a fluff piece or anything like that, but there’s honesty in the bias. I believe what these guys are doing is worthwhile of changing the landscape of hip-hop music and the production of said music. Hit the jump for my review.

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-grizzly

Artist: The Niceguys
Album: James Kelley
Record Label: Independent
Release Date: September 11, 2012

The Niceguys have always embraced the dichotomy embedded deep within the group’s bloodline. There’s version A, a version with which you could relate to very well. You might see them boozing at your nearest pub, sharing anecdotes, talking sports, maybe women. And then you have Version B, the one that involves workhorses who lock themselves down in the beautiful Wire Road Studios, perfecting their individual crafts and refining their roles within the group.

On 2010’s The Show, there was a pretty obvious contrast between the two. Pick any two songs – let’s say their singles in “Toast” and “Die Later.” It’s a clear-cut Version A and Version B. On their sophomore effort, James Kelley, you’re going to have to dig a little deeper for the former. It’s all business for these guys this time around – and that’s not a bad thing. James Kelley was initially an EP, set to be released sometime this past March, prior to their stint at SXSW. The group scrapped those plans, forgoing a release that would merely “tide fans over” until the next release – to put together what would become their official follow-up to The Show.

From the opening moments of “War Eagle,” you realize James Kelley is honed in on something different. Whether it’s the cinematic arrangements, Yves’ immediate no-nonsense, no intro lyrical attack or the marching band cadence of the percussion – they all share a common theme: we’re out of The Niceguys’ comfort zone. The leadoff track is all in the namesake of the Auburn Tigers, for James Kelley’s (the album’s engineer) alma mater – and that’s highly reflective of the themes that run across this album. They’re keeping this one close to the chest. In house, whether production, engineering, or collaborations. And they’re loyal to their concepts and their brands – so why not build a career about and around it?

Contrary to the paragraph directly before this, this seems to be the first time The Niceguys have ventured outside of themselves for their catalog. Somehow, someone managed to pull Yves away from the mic for a few verses, allowing for Houston’s elite in Bun B and Slim Thug, along with newcomer Mel to lace the “Ari Gold” remix and “Married to the Mob,” respectively. Free and Christolph stepped aside to let Wire Road Studios recording artists Nick Greer sign and play piano on “The Neverending Open & Shut Case,” as well as Hazy Ray, who were brought on board to take care of the groovy “Think Big.” Even DJ Candlestick stepped out from behind the 1s and 2s to produce the aforementioned “Married to the Mob,” a song that’s been in the works since before The Show was released.

Throughout the album, The Niceguys meddle in many musical affairs. Whether it’s the heavy Houston hip-hop influences on tracks like “Magick,” the shimmying tambourines of “New York Minute,” the blistering noise of “Ari Gold’s” remix or the album’s lounge act in “Live a Little,” the group puts on many hats throughout the course of James Kelley. Live instrumentation laces the entire album, giving that vintage ‘Roots’ aesthetic to an album that’s far removed from The Roots. Thematically, this album is grittier and darker than anything they’ve done in the past, but it maintains the cool, easy mentality they’ve always embraced. And yet, all of these unabashed risks, while largely out of the band’s vision and scope, seemed to come out as second nature – a natural progression from their debut.

The Niceguys’ future relies heavily on how James Kelley is received – and not exactly from a critical standpoint. Considering the perfectionist nature and revisionist history of the group on past releases (ask the guys, they’ll tell you what they wished they would’ve done differently on any given track), they want to present this album as something they feel is an all-encompassing vision of all the great things they’re musically capable of – something that they won’t want to change. While this circumstance is far from a reality, they’ve done an excellent job thus far, and James Kelley is another notch on that belt loop.

Grade: 9.4/10

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