Alex O’Conner who goes by the stage name of Rex Orange Country, has come along way since his first self-released project bcous u will never b free, in 2015. Since then he went on to appear on Tyler the Creator’s 2017 album Flower Boy, and release another album, Apricot Princess. That however, was more than 2 years ago. Since then, fans have been waiting very very patiently for his music and on October 25, Rex finally delivered.
(Photo cred: Pitchfork.com)
The new album Pony, features a collection of 10 new songs, all pertaining to topics that make even the strongest of hearts, feel the need to grab a tissue… Songs about being young and falling in love, getting older and feeling like you haven’t accomplished enough, and even experimenting with new styles, giving fans an Ed Sheeran-esque style rap in “Laser lights”. Pony’s sound sets apart from Rex’s other projects. It’s much more bubbly and electric sounding than its predecessors. Still, it contains songs that are very much, well, Rex. “Pluto Projector” the second single released from the album is a slow ballad, similar in sound to many of Rex’s other songs but shows just how much his lyricism has grown in the 2 years since his last release. The song includes one of my favor lines from the whole album “What if all this counts for nothing. Everything I thought I’d be, what if by the time I realize, its too far behind to see?.” The album closes with the song “It’s not the same anymore” a 6 and a half minute song. It’s raw and simple, yet the lyrics offer so much. Lyrics that may or may not have brought me to tears the first time I heard it. It starts off a lot like Rex’s older songs. Things seem to be dark and bleak, yet near the half point mark there’s a twist, its not the same anymore, its better.
Overall Pony is cinematic. Its only flaw is how short most of the songs tended to be, leaving some songs feeling incomplete. Still, it’s amazing to see how much Rex has grown over the course of the last few years. His experimentation with new sounds in this album paired with the way he conveys words in his songs make for the perfect combination. Rex isn’t worried about sounding too pessimistic or shy away from the truth and this album is proof. Being the perfect balance of hopeful and heart wrenching at its finest.