Reportedly when they play live, the husband-and-wife duo behind Exitmusic stand perfectly still, ‘as if in a trance.’ It might be to enhance the statue-esque beauty of Devon Church and Aleksa Palladino (‘star of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire’ bleats their press sheet).
Or it might be because they’re reverb-drenched gothic pop is rather dull.
Though obviously named after the Radiohead song, the New York duo instead cite diversifying influences including Godspeed You Black Emperor, Warp Records and “that second Sigur Rós album.”
Don’t get too excited. They might have the references, but Exitmusic are sorely lacking in the execution to live up to thos
Passage starts strongly, with the cinematically-charged title track, but soon the pair end up chasing their stylistic tail, attempting to re-write the same mood-piece over and over. One drowning beneath a generic wash of ambient electronics and Palladino’s breathy drawl, spouting put-upon noir polemic like “crimsoned are the hours.”
Strip away the fug of atmospherics and there’s little to dress up the weak songwriting at the heart of their brooding compositions, leaving merely the picked-at skeleton of greater bands.
– Al Newstead
