Even amongst emo-rock’s singer/songwriters, (Arthur Carl) ‘Ace’ Enders holds an auteur spot, thanks to his work as singer/guitarist for Early November and their epic, three-disc, The Mother, The Mechanic, and The Path in 2006. Reportedly it was so difficult to make that Enders considering quitting music to work in real estate or construction (dodged a bullet there…), and it still ended his work in November. But now he’s back, with A Million Different People, his new project, and When I Hit the Ground, a record that traffics in the emo-rock while sometimes reaching for something more – but also sometimes for something less.
After an epic intro, opener “Reintroduction” goes into a faster tempo that holds through the following “Take the Money and Run”, where Enders also introduces catch. Hit the Ground is best when that catch is utilized, from “Money” to “The Only Thing I Have (The Sign)” to “SOS”. But as the record plays on in its second half, it starts to dip into emo-triteness, like the penultimate “Bring Back Love” (why that was one of only two tracks from last year’s Secret Wars EP that made it onto Ground is a mystery…), especially in the cheesy emo-political lyrics (which also hurt “SOS”). Even the stripped emo-alt-folk declines, from the short & sweet “New Guitar” near the start of the record to the lamer “Emergency” near its end.
At fourteen tracks, When I Hit the Ground was bound to include some misses, and some good-but-not-great emo-rock. But then there are moments like the fast one-two opening, or the grander “Where Do We Go From Here”, which showcase sides of Enders one really hopes to see more of.
MP3 Stream: "Take the Money and Run"
- Graham Goodwin
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On their sophomore release, Tall Stories From Under the Table, London’s Dogs don’t exactly radically change their anthemistic indie rock, but it still works well for them.
Even amongst emo-rock’s singer/songwriters, (Arthur Carl) ‘Ace’ Enders holds an auteur spot, thanks to his work as singer/guitarist for Early November and their epic, three-disc, The Mother, The Mechanic, and The Path in 2006. Reportedly it was so difficult to make that Enders considering quitting music to work in real estate or construction (dodged a bullet there…), and it still ended his work in November. But now he’s back, with A Million Different People, his new project, and When I Hit the Ground, a record that traffics in the emo-rock while sometimes reaching for something more – but also sometimes for something less.
On their sophomore release, Tall Stories From Under the Table, London’s Dogs don’t exactly radically change their anthemistic indie rock, but it still works well for them. 
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