The Life and Struggle of Rex Orange County on 'Pony'
by Isaiah Anthony
Among the most nauseating feelings that a dormant body can experience, few rival the internal anguish that a person undergoes when reading something personal they wrote when they were significantly younger. Physically, mentally or emotionally - reviewing the muses of a younger state of mind can be painful. The overwhelming angst, and perhaps overzealous self-assuredness can be difficult to revisit with the privilege of hindsight and age. For Alex O’Conner, a.k.a Rex Orange County, Pony (2019) has a high chance of evoking a similar sentiment in the future. For now, however, that ignorance is far from detrimental to his music.
Of course, there is a chance this is not the case, but on the English singer-songwriter’s most recent project there is an undeniable aura of naivety. O’Conner, who celebrated his 21st birthday in May, approaches stress, isolation, relationships, and more problems prevalent of his age from a past-perspective, seemingly offering insight on issues that he has faced and conquered in the past. Luckily for O’Conner, the result of this naivety is an absurdly charming record that practically places itself on repeat.
On the lead single and opening track, ‘10/10,’ O’Connor reflects on a difficult past year, where bad relationships and poor choices almost sent him off the edge. On this upbeat track, O’Connor commends himself for overcoming adversity in a manner that proves just beneath the level of excessive self-aggrandizement. Finishing with “now, I'm safe and sound where I belong / It took all my strength to carry on / And though it's still hard work to find the words / I'm still gonna write this fuckin' song / 'Cause, after all, I guess it all depends upon / The people you choose and where you're from,” this testimonial to self-betterment sets the tone for Pony’s themes, which prove as heartwarming as they are heavy-handed.
Pony is Rex Orange County’s most ‘Rex Orange County’-sounding album yet. With production chock-full of trumpets, synthesizers, bells and bird chirps, the album exudes an ambiance not far off from an episode of “Blue’s Clues.” The wistful nature of Pony’s sound paired with O’Connor’s lyrical themes craft the album’s easily consumable, ‘bubblegum-anxiety’ energy.
Evidence of a post-streaming album, most of Pony’s tracks prove wary of overstaying their welcome. Certain tracks seemingly end at their peak, which makes for great playlist-fodder, but robs the project of certain cohesion-building slow moments that develop the album as a whole. The tracks where the listeners are permitted to marinate in the melodies for a while, such as ‘Pluto Projector,’ prove to have the most resonance. When granting himself multiple verses and a bridge, O’Connor is able to properly develop themes and an emotional depth that greatly dwarfs the album’s other tracks. ‘Pluto Projector,’ which sheds a great deal of the bubblegum noise that layers most of Pony, is by far the most genuine track on the album, featuring some of the best lyrics to date by Rex Orange County. Opening with O’Connor’s admittance of self-doubt, he muses, “The great protector / Is that what I'm supposed to be? / What if all this counts for nothing / Everything I thought I'd be? / What if by the time I realize / It's too far behind to see?”
While O’Connor crafts a narrative of self-discovery and overcoming struggle on Pony, the road ahead is long. There will be bad years and worse days. But one can not help but feel a twinge of excitement at what O’Connor’s continued growth will add to his already exorbitant artistic ability, should he allow himself the room to further explore that potential.