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In the age of the soft boy, the music of Alexander O’Connor, better known as Rex Orange County, is fodder for the angst-ridden masses. The twenty-one year old has been documenting his process of growing up and learning about himself over the course of three albums. His most recent offering, Pony, also spends most of its time trying to figure itself out. Unfortunately, it never quite fulfils its coming-of-age story arc. 

The production is largely disappointing, particularly on the lacklustre ‘Never Had The Balls’, where childlike drum and synth elements hollow out the potency of the lyrics. “Everything’s hard when you’re living in the dark”, Rex admits over an obnoxiously jaunty soundscape. 

‘Laser Lights’ attempts to retain some of the jazzy overtones of Rex’s second album, Apricot Princess, but ultimately remains inoffensive and unmemorable. Perhaps this was intentional, reflecting Rex’s desire to evade the human subject of the track and become invisible to her – “If I saw you in public I would pretend to tie my shoelace / Just so we avoid the what’s up” – but if so, it succeeds too well. 

Nevertheless, it would be unfair to claim that this album is devoid of charm; the bouncing falsetto of ‘Face to Face’ neatly captures the back and forth of a video call, the hallmark of a long-distance relationship, while the rousing tempo of ‘It Gets Better’ signals Rex’s talents. Indeed, with ‘Pluto Projector’, where Frank Ocean inspired R&B gives way to soaring orchestral strings, it seems as though this album has finally realised its potential. 

However, the interspersal of these gems amongst tracks like ‘Every Way’, a nasally ballad that resembles a badly sung Church prayer, dulls their impact and frustrates the listener. At this stage, one almost doesn’t want to recognise the effectiveness of ‘It’s Not The Same Anymore’, a closing track featuring plucky guitar strings and a vocal performance that finally fits its setting. 

Rex has tried to maintain his dedication to jazz infused sentimental pop, but Pony disappoints, exhausting the listener waiting for it to come into its own. “It’s only four o’clock and still it’s been a long day”, Rex croons over the final notes of the project, unwittingly summing up the listeners’ experience of this album.