Album Review: Alex Izenberg & the Exiles by Alex Izenberg

Any album that promises, according to its press notes, to blend King Crimson with Fleet Foxes whilst taking thematic influence from the work of the philosopher Alan Watts is clearly something that's been thought through. Sure enough, this full-band debut from Los Angeles native Alex Izenberg is clearly a meticulous construction project, but pulls off the impressive trick of still managing to sound pleasantly woozy; it's an album well-suited to long, hazy summer evenings. Izenberg drafted in producer Phil Ek to mix the album specifically because of his work on Fleet Foxes' 2017 LP Crack-Up, but a closer frame of reference for Alex Izenberg & The Exiles might actually be the work of Damien Jurado, specifically his albums with the late Richard Swift; intricate melodies interlocking with psych-tinged instrumentals to create a genuine sense of place and atmosphere.

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Alex Izenberg‘s full band ensemble, Alex Izenberg & the Exiles, is a grand statement from an artist best known for his romantic chamber pop. His last outing, I’m Not Here (2022), put him on the map with the Randy Newman-inspired “Egyptian Cadillac”. Where that effort was laden with the strings that complemented Izenberg’s maudlin themes, this whole band outing allows him to explore 1970s AM radio sounds further.

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