When I Hit the Ground [PA]

Performer: Arthur "Ace" Enders
Engineer: Chris Badami; Mike Kalajian; Chris Badami
Producer: Chris Badami; Ace Enders; Chris Badami; Ace Enders
Distributor: Fontana Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Arthur "Ace" Enders (vocals, guitar, bass guitar); Chris Badami (various instruments, piano, keyboards, drums, percussion, programming, background vocals); Will Gilreath (guitar); Mike Kalajian (drums). Audio Mixers: Chris Badami; Mike Kalajian. Recording information: The Barn, Pompton Plains, NJ. Photographers: Jenn Rock Enders; Arthur "Ace" Enders. Once the frontman for alternative rockers the Early November, Ace Enders has carved out his own niche as the architect of well crafted, emotionally mature indie pop influenced by emo standard bearers like Jets to Brazil and Jimmy Eat World. He and his Million Different People leave no uplifting, melodic chorus unexplored on their second album together, with themes of heartache and growing up adding lyrical spice to the pot. The title track throws off sparks with a slow, majestic roll and soaring chorus, and "Where Do We Go From Here" sketches out a rhythm with stabs of guitar like a pared-down Weezer. Ace Enders' second solo disc is a confident, commercial release that tempers his ambitious emo-pop experiments with a dose of '90s alternative rock. Now in his mid-twenties, Enders isn't the same wide-eyed frontman whose coming-of-age insecurities were funneled into the Early November's albums. That heart-on-the-sleeve mentality is still present here -- in the way Enders throws his voice into a higher register during "Where Do We Go from Here," or the way he plays with loud/soft dynamics to ratchet up the emotion -- but Enders is now an adult, a father, a homeowner, and the resulting responsibilities have tightened his craft considerably. That's not to say that When I Hit the Ground will alienate the songwriter's fan club; longtime producer Chris Badami is back on board, after all, and he captures Enders' songs with a familiar blend of grit and polish, steering clear of the overly buffed sparkle that differentiates emo-pop veterans from the bands they've spawned. The album even delves into politics -- if not expertly, then at least earnestly -- with "Leader" and "Bring Back Love," two tracks that further display Enders' growing maturity. For those who don't grow as readily as the songwriter, though, several ballads recall the overwrought emotions that first established Enders as an emo poster boy, and When I Hit the Ground ultimately succeeds by appealing to a wide audience. ~ Andrew Leahey

Alternative Press (p.138) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "WHEN I HIT THE GROUND is one of the best glossy hybrids resulting from a clean collision of nu-emo and '90s alternative pop during a quarter-life crisis."

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.25