The Mother, The Mechanic and The Path,
The Early NovemberWhere on Earth do you start with this? This is possibly the hardest review I've ever done because it's so long - three discs seemingly by three different bands. If TEN ever wanted to push the genre boundaries and try something completely different, they've literally blown everyone out of the water by writing 'The Mother, The Mechanic and The Path'. In short, The Early November have written two entirely different records that revolve around one idea, with one a 'rock' album and another more mellow. On top of that, a third disc sums up the first two discs into a soundtrack of dialogue and music. Confused? You're not the only one!
The 'plot' to this triple disc extravaganza is even more baffling. According to ap.net: "The Mother, The Mechanic, and The Path offers us a very unique storyline: we are introduced to a young man who clashes with his domineering father. He leaves his family with the girls he loves, setting out to make his own path in life, one that avoids the life of his parents. Upon having his own child, he promises to himself that he will not become like his father. But, as his life comes full circle, his son begins to revolt against him, and he finds himself slowly slipping into the mold of his father, the very destiny he tried so hard to break away from. TEN frontman Ace Enders was inspired to write this story after seeing movies such as Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, The Matrix, and The Truman Show."
Getting the introductions out of the way, let's tackle each disc one-by-one. The first disc is the traditional, harder edged sound we've come to expect from Ace Enders and company. 'Decoration' and 'This Wasn't In Our Plan' are very, very good songs - they drive and are energetic and Ace's distinctive vocals stand out. The layers of production make this sound thick and war, with the guitars swooping in and out of the vocal mix. The band's most visceral moment comes during 'The Car In 20', a track which is as aggressive as the band have ever been. If this had been a one-off CD, you'd be looking at a good 8 out of 10 - it's an impressive disc that really showcases everything which is good about the band.
Disc two is much, much slower. Opening track 'My Lack Of Skill' is a slow-buring piano-led lighters-in-the-air effort which sets the tone nicely. It's just drastically different from anything else the band have done - good in its own way, but not something I'd expect the band to come up with. 'Little Black Heart' is very tender, while 'A Little More Time' comes across like old-skool Dashboard Confessional. Ace's vocals make all of these songs stand out, a feature which continues throughout. A good disc - not great - but one with many good songs that deserve repeated listens.
And here it gets weirder. Disc three is a spoken word storytelling piece, set to music. And that's all I can really tell you to be honest. It's just weird - different voices tell a story while Ace plays a few songs in the style of a dialogue. It works at times, it's an interesting concept, but I'm not convinced I'll keep coming back to it. It's a bit unnerving; maybe that was the point to it, pushing the envelope out of the comfort zone?
At the end of the day, is three albums neccessary? No, not really. Disc one is excellent, disc two good and three...well, it's an interesting concept and experiment but I don't feel I'll ever listen to it again. You have to admire the band for attempting something completely different, and while 'The Mother, The Mechanic and The Path' is a real labour of love, I'm not wholly convinced, as an entire package, it was worth the time and love spent creating it. Worth buying for the first two discs, but a little overblown for repeated listens.
ps - Drive Thru, can you start sending me promos again please? :)
www.myspace.com/theearlynovember
Drive Thru Records
Paul
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