Album Review: WHO CARES?
Rex Orange County, real name Alexander James O’Connor, is an English singer and songwriter who has been making waves in the indie music scene since his debut album “Bcos U Will Never B Free,” but his features in the critically acclaimed “Flower Boy” record by Tyler, The Creator caught the attention of even more listeners.
O’Connor’s easily recognizable voice and his trademark smooth vibe make each release of his studio albums exciting, with “Apricot Princess” releasing in 2017 and “Pony” releasing in 2019, which were both met with a warm reception from his fans.
Often cited as a product of his contemporaries such as Frank Ocean, some critics feel that O’Connor lacks taste in his songwriting and production, releasing bland tracks that only scratch the surface of what his potential leads people to believe he can achieve. While there is an argument to be made for his repetitive song structure, long-term O’Connor fans will not find an issue with this, as his unique voice and personal song lyrics make up for the predictable melodic and harmonic components as well as recycled instrumentation that has often been a staple of his music.
While there is nothing wrong with sticking to your sound, indie fans outside of O’Connor’s fan base would have liked to hear something different from the songwriter with his newest record, “WHO CARES?” The unobtrusive nature of the pianos and strings placed throughout the record as main melodic tools leave most of the tracks feeling thin, and without O’Connor’s lyrics and voice, there would be nothing to distinguish between any bedroom indie beats that any sad teenager could create with their laptop. While new listeners could find a refreshing dose of realism and sadness in this record, followers of the indie scene will find new themes scarce.
That being said, "WHO CARES?” is still a fun record with jazz and 1970s style influences. There are head-bobbing moments, such as Tyler, The Creators feature in “OPEN A WINDOW” and the final and eponymous track, “WHO CARES?”
O’Connor makes music for himself and his fans and this record is him saying he does not care what critics think about his music, which is fantastic. While this record may not be a step in the right direction musically, music fans will hope that what comes next for the musician will be unequivocally his own art.
