Alex O’Connor (also known as Rex Orange County) has been building up the excitement among his fans with the release of his album “WHO CARES?” for quite some time. Since March, his supporters have been anxiously awaiting the new music and finally, the time has come. Featuring 11 awe-inspiring songs, this album may be his best one yet.

Of this new album, “KEEP IT UP” stood out the most. Displaying a jubilant mixture of upbeat and slow tunes, it is the perfect song to listen to while driving with the windows down on a warm summer evening. It highlights the topic of mental health struggles while also showing the importance of persevering through strenuous times. Optimistic themes are sprinkled throughout, in order to give the song a more lighthearted feel. The music video goes hand in hand with the theme of lightheartedness. It resembles a home movie and provides a childlike perspective to the lyrics of the song. 

My second favorite on the album was “OPEN A WINDOW” featuring Tyler, the Creator. The two artists have a complementary music style, so their work flows together seamlessly. This song leaned more toward the pop side and followed the story of a frustrating young love. This is not the first time that Tyler, the Creator has been featured in a Rex Orange County song, as their fans love the collaboration—they never fail to impress. 

To me, this album felt like eating a bowl of warm soup—familiar and comforting. O’Connor stuck with his typical music style, indie-soft rock, which he plays so well. My only critique is that most songs on this album sounded very similar. The album as a whole carried the same tone and beat throughout. I would have liked to hear a more diversified soundtrack as a way to thrill fans. I must say, I was expecting him to branch out a bit more, for this album specifically, but he stuck with his classic well-loved vibe.

I was thoroughly impressed with the well developed lyrics and the fun tempo of the songs. I have yet to hear many Rex Orange County songs that I don’t like, and frankly this album only raised my standards for music. 

“WHO CARES?”: ★★★★☆