In 2017 Rex Orange County released Apricot Princess, a record full of breezy, sugary candour; that same year, the young Surrey artist, real name Alex O’Connor, was a guest on rap maverick Tyler, the Creator’s Flower Boy. Suddenly, O’Connor was a need-to-know name, coming second in the BBC’s Sound of 2018 poll.
Pony is his first full-length release and finds him considering new circumstances and weighty expectations (“everything makes me want to quit while I’m ahead,” he admits on Face to Face). At points, introspection threatens to eclipse the joy he feels in his romantic relationship, which occasionally makes the record feel disjointed. When he’s aiming for optimism, it can feel flat or almost gratingly saccharine, as per opener 10/10. Sonically, O’Connor is unchanged – jaunty piano, sentimental pop, powerful vocals – albeit with more ambitious use of soaring instrumentation: bops like It Gets Better and Never Had the Balls, as well as the beautiful Pluto Projector, could all be on a romcom soundtrack.
Pony meanders, seemingly uncertain of its purpose, but Rex Orange County retains enough charm and honesty to remain engaging while he figures himself out.
