Ace Enders And A Million Different People - When I Hit the Ground
Record Label: Vagrant/ Drive-Thru
Release Date: March 17, 2009
Ace Enders is a beast of a musician. After calling it quits (or, if you prefer, "hiatus") with his beloved indie rock band The Early November, he introduced his new solo project, a follow up to his previous I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody's Business, Ace Enders and a Million Different People. His free online EP The Secret Wars gave fans only a tiny glimpse of what his new solo outing would be like. And now, with his first full length with his million different people, we get the entire picture.
When I Hit the Ground begins with soft guitars that really frame Ace's first vocals, especially when the organ comes. Then the song takes a sharp change and really makes for an explosive "Reintroduction" that leads perfectly into "Take the Money and Run," a quick, catchy song that deals with record label trouble. "New Guitar" is a nice acoustic ballad that gets its point across and leaves immediately. They form a perfect triple hitter intro that really starts the album out on a good note.
"The Only Thing I Have" is good single choice, with a slight dance vibe during the chorus that greatly contrasts with the title track, a slower ballad that is the perfect prom slow dance song (hintidy hint hint, Student Government Association). The poppier vibe picks right back up with the re-inclusion of "Reaction" which is exactly the same as it was on The Secret Wars.
The next three songs keep the pop going, with lots of "woah ohs" and uplifting lyrics and musicianship. Its a tad generic during these three, but that doesn't stop them from being fun.
"Emergency" picks back up that acoustic with slow vocals and ponderous lyrics, which make for one of the brightest highlights of the album.
Pitfalls of the album include the slow, strained vocals of "Leader," which is definitely the worst song on this set. Then theres the major cheese factor on "Bring Back Love" and "Can't Run Away," the former of which also happens to be extremely catchy, but you don't really want to be caught belting that song out.
All in all, this album is pretty good. It doesn't really match up with Ace's earlier projects, which are lacking in the cheesy lyrics and sometimes strained vocals. Its also a whole lot poppier than Ace's past efforts. However, the strong musicianship, production, and for the most part, the lyrics, save this album. When I Hit the Ground has a little something for everyone: slow prom dance ballads, acoustic beauties, and pop heavy singles.
To the past Ace Enders fan: give this a few listens. Its a lot different from his past projects and it will take time for you to adjust. Good Luck to you.
if i wasn't already sold on the album the RIYL would have sold me. good review, spectacular record. save a couple of filler songs, it's exactly what i would have expected from Enders. love that man.
love the album, loved the live show. played 12 of 14 songs on new album at the show.
i actually like leader though.
definitely agree with the cheese factor, especially when you see it live.
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