Alex Izenberg – Alex Izenberg & The Exiles
On his full-band debut, Los Angeles singer-songwriter Alex Izenberg delivers a meticulously crafted soundtrack for hazy summer nights
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. The tracks melt pleasingly into each other on this cohesive body of work, but the gorgeous harmonies of Threaded Dances and the irresistible groove of Pareidolia provide particular highlights. The album as a whole, meanwhile, simmers with promise as to where Izenberg might head next; quietly, here, he’s crafted one of the summer’s finest records.
Listen to: Threaded Dances, Pareidolia, As the Dawn Serenades the Dark