On Oct. 25, 2019, Rex Orange County released his third album, “Pony.” This album featured ten alternative tracks that had a variety of tones, vibes and messages.

I’ll admit, I am a major Rex Orange County fan, and I exclusively listened to his music all of last winter. I was beyond excited for this album, but I was a bit disappointed.

Only a few of the songs were what I would describe as classic Rex Orange County, soft tones that make you want to drink tea and watch old movies and write poetry on napkins. They balance just the right amount of angst with thoughtful, more symbolic lyrics. This style was so common in his previous two albums and something I have grown to love.

“Pluto Project” was one of the tracks that most encapsulated this style, although it had an unfamiliar and odd ending of layer, it featured slowed down voices that almost ruined the whole song for me. The song “Always” also helped to build that classic Rex Orange County style, with a more mature twist to it. 

The opening song “10/10” uses technological notes and instruments to highlight and accompany his classic style. The song “Face to Face” was one of my favorites purely for its high energy and fast-paced beat. In this song Rex Orange County’s classic style intermingles with the technological aspects of a fun, danceable song. 

Despite this musically being similar to his previous songs, the lyrics lacked some of the depth and meaning they previously had. Some songs felt generic and lacked a deeper meaning.

Although the technological tones were not really present in his previous works, I enjoyed the change of his content. It shows he’s developing as an artist, and not staying stagnant with the style people had previously enjoyed.

Unfortunately, the technological aspect falls short for me in the song “It Gets Better.” The technological instrument takes over the softer vibes and reminds me more of an 80’s pop song more than anything else. His true style was overwhelmed in the technological instruments and missed the mark.

The song “It’s Not the Same Anymore”  was one of the more emotional songs on the album. This song is perfect for those sad girl hours, and I loved it. However, with so many upbeat and techno songs on the album, this and the other emotional songs felt out of place. I was dancing along to a song, then a minute later I was crying to the next-talk about an emotional rollercoaster.

There was a range of styles and tones throughout the album which made it feel a bit jumpy and all over the place when listening to it, in the release order. Rex Orange County is only 21 years old, so the lack of flow could be due to him continuing to determine his style. Regardless, the album seemed a bit disorganized and threw my emotions as I listened. 

I enjoyed most of the songs on this album, and I appreciated the attempts at a more techno style. I think the albums itself could have been more thought out, as some of the tries to be techno came were a bit mis-mashed. The opening song is “10/10,” but I would give it a 7/10.