Alex Izenberg - I'm Not Here (2022) Hi Res

Like his debut, 2016's homespun Harlequin, and its ambitious 2020 follow-up Caravan Chateau, Alex Izenberg's new album I'm Not Here inhabits the shaggy, world-weary mode of artists like Harry Nilsson, John Lennon, Randy Newman, and Lou Reed. With the help of producer Greg Hartunian, and swelling string and woodwind arrangements courtesy of Dirty Projectors' Dave Longstreth, Alex manages a paradoxical and visionary trick: he disappears completely while simultaneously revealing more of himself than ever before. Izenberg doesn't shy away from complex topics in his music: heartbreak, confusion, and grief. Work on I'm Not Here began in earnest following the passing of his dog and best friend Larks. The album's centerpiece, "Our Love Remains," crystalizes the sense of loss and longing he experienced in her absence, but it pulls hope up from the depths as well: "I hold her wings to find my way," he sings, his voice laden with emotion.