One of indie pop’s brightest stars, Rex Orange County has gone from a cult favorite to now one of the genre’s biggest names. I remember the first time I heard him. It was over the summer a few years ago and while on the ride home, the song Loving is Easy came on the AltNation SiriusXM channel. I remember immediately loving the groove of the song, there were lush strings met with some really neat sounding piano chords. I also loved that “Loving is eaasy / You got me f*cked up” hook, it’s still an earworm for me whenever I hear it. Listening back to it now while writing this, the production on this song is incredible and I think it was really the best intro to him for me. As time went by I would keep hearing this song and I remembered his name but I never really dove in. I ended up being reminded of him on two separate occasions, the first was when I started diving into Tyler, the Creator’s catalog. Rex has two prominent features on the album Boredom where he takes care of the first verse and chorus before Tyler starts rapping. It’s still one of the catchiest choruses on that album and it’s one of my favorite songs on the album as well.
The second reintroduction happened one day as I was listening to Zane Lowe’s Beats One Radio Show, he premiered a new song from Rex called Face to Face. I loved the upbeat groove of the song and the way the song just kept building over its runtime. The song starts with some piano chords and sparse percussion before some electronic drums get added along with some higher-pitched guitar licks, some xylophone, and some more percussion. It’s a really great and pretty song that I still love and it might even be my favorite song by him.
The song was one of the singles for what would become the album, Pony, which myself, critics, and fans all found pretty underwhelming. As someone who hadn’t been as invested in Rex and his music at the time, it wasn’t so much that I didn’t like his change in direction. It was more that I think the album had a few great songs and the rest were just sort of there to fill the runtime. However, I guess enough people enjoyed the album as the rooms he played got bigger and his name got a little higher on festival posters (He was billed 4th on his day on Coachella’s 2020 lineup with Run the Jewels, Calvin Harris, and Rage Against the Machine in front of him). However, that album sort of soured my opinion on him and I started to consider him overrated and wasn’t sure if the singles he had put out that I liked had just been flukes but that all changed this year with this new album, WHO CARES?
When the album got announced, I literally remember telling myself “I don’t,” and I was going to just let this one slip by under my radar. Then, over Spring Break, I decided to listen to this album while biking through my neighborhood and I was pleasantly surprised! I have to admit, I did come into this with some pretty low expectations but there is so much to like on this album. The production on here is super pretty, a lot of the songs are laced with strings which add to that effect. There are also so many catchy hooks across the album and Rex’s lyrics all over the album as a whole are solid.
This album had a solid run of teaser tracks. The lead single KEEP IT UP grew on me a whole lot between its original release to then hearing it kick off this album. The song starts with a super lush string section before a drumbeat kicks in and Rex comes in with a really great verse and even better melody singing about his struggles with self-doubt and mental health. Opening an album by singing “Every time I open my mouth / I have regrets in my mind every time” is pretty ballsy but the song is great so Rex gets a pass. I also really liked OPEN A WINDOW when it first dropped. I love the synth bass and bright piano chords that back the majority of this song. Instrumentally, the song reminds me of IGOR-era Tyler, the Creator, which is funny because Tyler delivers a solid feature on the back half of the song.
On my first listen through this album, I wasn’t really sold on it yet after the first couple of songs. I thought the album so far was just good, maybe not great, then AMAZING came on. I absolutely love this song and I think I can say that this is the best song on this album. The song lyrically is about how unpredictable love is and building up the courage to go talk to the girl he thinks he has a future. Rex sings in the first verse:
There’s no way to time it
And where you may find it
Is unknown
Until then, you’re a loner
So you see her
She’s over
In the corner
And you can’t
Ignore her
There must be a reason
You see it, believe it now
The chorus on this song is very infectious and the hook on this song (Don’t change a thaaaaaaaaang you are amazing) gets stuck in my head often. I think what I love most about this song is Rex’s vocal performance. There’s a certain tension he sings with on this song that really sells his performance, especially with lines telling this girl if she wants the definition of shame or afraid to just look at his face. If there’s one song to check out from this album, definitely give this song a shot.
And even past this point, this album still has tons of highlights. IF YOU WANT IT has a pulsing groove to back Rex’s lyrics about self-acceptance. The song THE SHADE is another huge highlight for me. I love the guitar lead on this song and the groove is undeniable. The lyrics are super fun as well. Rex sings about all these things he does to try and impress this girl he likes. He sings in the first verse:
I was closing all the blinds
Just so you could sleep the night through
I was staying by your side
Just so I knew you were okay
And I was opening the door
Just to see if you would walk through
I started painting all the walls
Just to see if you liked the shade
This theme continues on through the rest of the song, I really like the line in the second verse where he sings that he moved to Amsterdam just to give this girl some space.
This album ends just a solidly as it begins in my opinion with the final three songs putting a solid bow on top of it. MAKING TIME is an interlude of sorts with nothing more than some acoustic guitars, Rex’s voice, and some electric piano chords. There’s some drums in the back half too but if anything, this is just a way to lead us in the final two songs. SHOOT ME DOWN for some reason reminds of Cage the Elephant? Like if you replaced the piano chords that drive the song with distorted guitars, I feel like this would’ve fit perfectly onto Tell Me I’m Pretty. I love the key changes before the chorus and the way it goes from a soft ballad to being a pretty big spotlight moment. The title track closes things off and I love a lot of things on it. The bassline is super funky, the drums are tight, and I love the lyrics too, another song about self-acceptance. The harmonies on the chorus are fantastic as well and add a really nice touch.
So, to reiterate. I came into this album expecting it to just be decent with maybe one or two songs to throw into my rotation but I was very surprised by this album. At it’s worst, this album is still super enjoyable and there’s a lot of songs here that I can’t help but just smile listening to. I’m very glad I decided to give this album a shot and I think I can confidently say that this album will get some heavy play over the summer from me.
FAVORITE SONGS: KEEP IT UP, OPEN A WINDOW (feat. Tyler, the Creator), AMAZING, THE SHADE, WHO CARES?
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