Flash back to July 2006, when The Early November seemed poised for mainstream success.

The band had just released its three-disc concept album “The Mother, The Mechanic, The Path,” debuting at No. 31 on the Billboard Top 200 chart — an impressive feat.

Now fast-forward less than a year into the future — the band shocked fans with an announcement that it would be taking an indefinite hiatus. Overnight, the band members had gone their separate ways and began taking on separate musical ventures.

Former lead singer and guitarist Ace Enders recently released his solo project, called Ace Enders and a Million Different People. Its second studio album “When I Hit The Ground” is a feel-good pop piece that combines strong hooks and sing-along choruses with introspective lyrics to form strong tunes. But the album is not without its shortcomings.

Appropriately named, the track “Reintroduction” starts the album off with Enders making an apology. Working his way from a soft whisper over an occasional guitar strum to an all-out yell before the backing band kicks in, Enders adds an earnest, heart-on-the-sleeve effect to the song, which is supported by lyrics like “The past 8 years I just wasn’t enough/ For your love.”

“Reintroduction” shows instantly that the album is full of promise and raises listener expectations to sky-high levels, only to give way to the album’s worst track “Take The Money And Run.” The song is sloppy and features Enders singing with distorting vocal effects that seem misguided and single-handedly ruin the track.

Once Enders has deflated the formerly high hopes, he spends the rest of “When I Hit the Ground” attempting to atone for the disaster that was “Take The Money And Run,” and much to the listener’s satisfaction, he does.

“New Guitar” is a short, acoustic song that is a nice lead-in to “The Only Thing I Have (The Sign),” which is where the listeners get their first taste of Enders’ ability to craft an undeniably catchy chorus.

The title track “When I Hit The Ground” is the obligatory ballad of the album, but is well done and very heartfelt. Lyrics like “On my knees, I’m breaking down/ Just know I loved you when I hit the ground,” showcase the vulnerability Enders expresses throughout the entire album.

The crown jewels of the album are the pop masterpieces “Reaction” and “SOS.” The two tracks are strong from beginning to end but they both peak during the chorus. These choruses are built for sing-alongs and the songs are sure to be repeated

often by listeners who can’t get enough of their catchy melodies.

“Over This” is an uplifting track that is then followed by “Where Do We Go From Here,” the heaviest song on the album.

“Leader” sounds as though it was written to be an Obama campaign song and the lyrics are sure to stir up memories of Obama’s campaign speeches and his run to the for White House.

Enders shows that he is ready for mainstream success with “Bring Back Love,” a track that is as innocent as it is excellent. The song is very radio-friendly — it combines a toe-tapping rhythm with quality vocals, including backing vocals done by a choir.

The choir adds a great new element to the song and is without a doubt the defining moment of the album. “Bring Back Love” could easily be the catalyst for Enders’ ascent into stardom.

Despite the moment of glory that was “Bring Back Love,” the album immediately takes a wrong turn by finishing up with “Can’t Run Away.”

The song itself is fine, but seems like an abrupt and awkward end to the album. It would have been more fitting to end with “Bring Back Love” and leave listeners with a lasting memory, rather than the forgettable “Can’t Run Away.”

Ace Enders and a Million Different People may not be a reincarnation of The Early November, but the latest album will not just satisfy the most diehard of Early November fans, but may also win Enders hordes of new fans.

Judging by this release, it’s safe to say that when Ace Enders “hits the ground,” he hits the ground running.

Reach the reporter at jdfourni@asu.edu.