Izenberg, Alex - Alex Izenberg & The Exiles CD

As Alex Izenberg was piecing together the sweeping, psychedelic opuses on his full-band debut Alex Izenberg & The Exiles, the Los Angeles artist was focused on a simple goal: making something built to last. At the heart of his songs are bold ideas that take inspiration from the heady musings of philosopher Alan Watts, the multi-layered storytelling of King Crimson, and the imagistic vistas of Fleet Foxes. While the subject matter may feel esoteric—“My unconscious named the tongue/Of the lights of closed eyes” goes a characteristic lyric—Izenberg and his band let the music drift pleasantly to earth. The melodies are romantic and warm, and the arrangements are invitingly expansive, making expert use of a new ensemble formed around the strongest songs of his career.

1 The Gospel of Exiles
2 An Obscured Odyssey
3 The Wraith Behind Our Eyes
4 Drinking the Dusk Away
5 Dreams of Déjà Vu
6 Threaded Dances
7 Only the Moon Knows
8 Pareidolia
9 United States (Of Mind)
10 Apophenia
11 As the Dawn Serenades the Dark