The Early November

The members of the Early November were young enough to have grown up with the Drive-Thru Records sound, a formula that incorporated sensitive emo, pop, and punk revivalist amalgams with a bit of post-hardcore grit. The band first emerged in 2000, fighting to secure shows in their busy South Jersey scene while hoping to land a deal with Drive-Thru. One way or another, their wish came true. Label figureheads Richard and Stefanie Reines signed vocalist/guitarist "Ace" (Arthur) Enders, bassist Sergio Anello, drummer Jeff Kummer, and guitarist Joseph Marro in early 2002 on the strengths of their demo and a solid MP3.com buzz, and by November 2002 the band had made its label debut with the For All of This EP. Promising appearances on the Warped Tour's Drive-Thru stage that summer spread the word, and by 2003, anticipation for an Early November full-length was brimming. Room's Too Cold dropped in October 2003. It was a particularly lush take on the Drive-Thru sound, with strings and ballads and a focus on the rich vocal presence of Enders. The band toured extensively behind the record; Enders later issued the first effort from his solo project I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody's Business in late 2004 and briefly toured behind the disc. Enders then turned back to the Early November, and writing began that summer for their follow-up sophomore release. Recording commenced in February 2005 with a fifth member on board, guitarist Bill Lugg. The band also released a summer split EP with I Am the Avalanche, Vinnie Caruana's post-Movielife project. The resulting The Mother, the Mechanic, and the Path was eventually issued in July 2006 as an ambitious triple album. (The band took a cut in royalties to make sure it was offered at a single-disc price.) Boasting a rock-oriented disc ("The...