The Secret B-Sides, Asheville’s most popular (voted Best of WNC two years in a row) soul band, is marking the release of their latest album, Easy Magic, with a special performance at the Highland Brewing Company.

The CD release party, slated for April 20th, will give the band an opportunity to premiere some new tunes while treating fans to older favorites.

The album is a retrofit of last year’s EP of the same name; the group has remixed the existing five songs and added an equal number of new ones. The resultant effort is “forty-five minutes of groovy and psychedelic Soul stylings.”

Francisco Flores, the band’s manager, booking agent, spokesperson, and number one fan, explains. “After last year’s release party, it became obvious that the next logical step should be. So, instead of going harder, the B-Sides went smarter; they put the Easy Magic EP inside a mysterious black box, turned the AWESOME knob as far as it would go, and just like that, a five-song EP became a fully realized, ten-song listening experience. Not only did it make the original songs better, but it also added five entirely new recordings to the album.”

More old-school than new, the deeper grooves and darker vibes differentiates Easy Magic from 2011’s Flowers & Chocolate. Lyrically it deals with heavier subjects—police brutality, political trickery, loneliness, societal collapse—but the joyous groove found therein somehow makes them a bit lighter. “Flowers & Chocolate was meant to tempt listeners into bliss,” adds Flores. “Easy Magic is meant to sustain listeners through trial and tribulation, making life magically easier.”

In addition to such local lights as Jason Moore, Marley Carroll, and Sidney Barnes, Easy Magic also hosts a different set of guests, including Mark Burin on various guitars, Matt Smith on pedal steel guitar, the Common Foundation horn players, and Franklin Keel on cello. It’s a fuller sound than you might expect, and one that is sure to engage the bands faithful followers. The CD release show, with opening guests Chalwa, is also an opportunity for new fans to climb on board the Secret B-Sides express.

If You Go: Secret B-Sides on the Highland Brewing Company’s outdoor stage (12 Old Charlotte Hwy). This absolutely free, all ages show, takes place Saturday, April 20 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information go to www.thesecretb-sides.com

Listen to The Secret B-Sides single “Easy Magic” right now!