of the band. According to singer/guitarist Ace Enders, The Mechanic is the group's "safe bet", the album they would have made if it had only been one disc. It represents the technical progression from its predecessor The Room's Too Cold (2003), hence the title. The Mother – a mostly unplugged effort in the vein of The Early November's The Acoustic EP (2003) and Enders' solo CD I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody's Business (2004). The disc focuses on the band's mellow facet, featuring a more natural sound, conveyed by the use of predominantly acoustic instruments and few effects or filters. The Path – an audio theatre of sorts, which mixes dialogue between a young man named Dean and his psychiatrist with soft background music. The psychiatry sessions that narrate the story are interrupted by short "musical"-esque songs, also introducing the interaction of other characters. The songs cover a wide range of musical genres, including blues, country and folk. Release On May 1, 2005, the Early November's next album was announced for release in October that year. They band released a split single with I Am the Avalanche that featured a demo of "Outside" and a live version of "Ever So Sweet". Between October and December 2005, the Early November supported Saves the Day and Senses Fail on their co-headlining US tour. An EP, dubbed Selections from the Forthcoming Triple Album, was posted on Downloadpunk.com in March 2006; it featured "Decoration", "Hair", "The One That You Hated", and a live video of "Sesame Shmesame". In March and April 2006, the band supported Matchbook Romance and Silverstein on the Take Action Tour. On April 15, 2006, The Mother, the Mechanic, and the Path was announced for release in three months' time. "A Little More Time" was premiered through AbsolutePunk on May 30, 2006. On June 7, 2006, "Drive South" premiered through Fuse's website. The Mother, the Mechanic, and the Path was made available for streaming on July 2, 2006, before being released nine days later through Drive-Thru Records. During the first weeks of sales, purchases of The Mother, the Mechanic, and the Path from Best Buy were accompanied by a bonus DVD (containing the music video to "Hair" and a 35-minute making-of documentary), while Target customers were rewarded with an exclusive bonus track. In mid-September, the band went on a UK tour alongside the Starting Line and Anberlin. In October and