Pony
| Rex Orange County
Pony
Pony is the third studio album and major-label debut by English musician Rex Orange County. It was released on 25 October 2019. WIKIPEDIA
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
October 25, 2019. The 21-year-old songwriter’s latest album is irritating enough to activate the mildest allergy to sincerity.
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Thke DIamondback
October 30, 2019. The album, which came out Friday, took me on a fun journey from start to finish. It felt like a walk in the park.
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The Guardian
October 27, 2019. Pony review – jaunty and engaging.
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The Young Folks
November 6.2019 Unfortunately, Rex’s newest album, Pony, is a minor step back. It’s clear the sad-boy aesthetic has its limitations, especially when it’s done with little nuance.
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NME
October 24, 2019. ‘Pony’ review: eclecticism and hope delivered with dazzling charm
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DIY
Equal parts heart wrenching and hopeful.
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The Line of Best Fit
October 24, 2019. Rex Orange County’s Pony lays bare human vulnerabilities with colour and beauty.
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GIGWISE
October 23, 2019. The return of Rex Orange County is full of heartfelt honesty and his signature electro-pop
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CLASH
October 24, 2019. A triumph for the envelope pushing, genre bending, multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter…
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HIGHSNOBIETY
October 28, 2019. Just like its creator, Pony isn’t without its missteps or lingering hang-ups. But on the whole, his third album proves that Rex is veering away from a work-in-progress and closer to the finished article.
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AllMusic
October 25, 2019. Pony showcases O'Connor's abilities, bringing together emotionally candid lyrics with jazz-informed arrangements, accented with horns, strings, and even a children's choir. It's an altogether pleasing sound, but one that leans toward album tracks over memorable hits.
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American Songwriter
November 5, 2019. With ‘Pony’, Rex Orange County Shows New Creative Heft.
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The Musical Hype
November 4, 2019. Ultimately, the gifted British singer/songwriter delivers an enjoyable third studio LP with Pony. The vocals are lovely throughout, while the songwriting is personal and specific to him.
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The BIRN
From the beginning to the end of Pony, Rex Orange County is transparent with his emotions, utilizing lyrics that make you feel like you’re eavesdropping on his thoughts.
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The Suffolk Journal
October 30, 2019. O’Connor stays true to his familiar sound while incorporating more artistry, technique and experimentation, making “Pony” his most carefully crafted album to date.
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Standard
November 1, 2019. Rex Orange County - Pony review: Shining talent is undeniable but sporadic.
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The Daily Mississippian
October 29, 2019. . . . the music is delightful. This album is breezy and pleasant; it’s shamelessly optimistic and retains the catchy hooks and beat flips that catapulted Rex Orange County into stardom. Each song compliments the other, though no two are alike.
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The Sentry
November 6, 2019. It’s a so-so album with real promise, but Rex Orange County is just one if those artist who should stick to what he knows.
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The Highlander
November 5, 2019. Despite the juvenile name, “Pony” is a mature step in Rex Orange County’s musical career. “Pony” is a powerful compilation that is sure to attract new listeners and satisfy longtime fans.
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RiFF magazine
October 27, 2019. This third album reincorporates O’Connor’s roots in bedroom pop into his expanded sonics, while continuing his catalog’s through-line of relatable charm.
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Erie Reader
November 6, 2019. Pony is a fun record that never takes itself too seriously, and sometimes those are hard to parse. It offers a chilled out sound, though is more upbeat (and less ambitious) than his earlier works.
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Exepose
November 7, 2019. All in all, I’m very pleased with Pony; it’s an extremely solid and listenable album, with a handful of songs that I’d go so far as to say are some of the artist’s best, despite the fact that it has a slight drop in quality in the middle of the album.
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THE CAROLINIAN
November 6, 2019. “Pony” is an exemplary piece for showcasing the talents of O’Connor. From his unique songwriting ability to playing various instruments and using his raw voice to tell a story, this album has it all.
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mxdwn.com
November 5, 2019. Rex Orange County brings a fresh flair to the currently popular indie-pop music scene that makes him stand out. His lively beats and optimistic words in Pony really set him apart.
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The Student Playlist
October 31, 2019. Alex O’Connor’s major-label debut as Rex Orange County, ‘Pony’ contains all the affectionate charm that has made him such a hot property.
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RMU Sentry Media
October 29, 2019. “Pony” is by no stretch a bad album, and has a good amount of highlights for Rex Orange County fans to latch onto. Still, the pop style that Rex takes the album in is more a detriment to the quality of the songs than adding anything new or original.
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89.1 The Point
November 2, 2019. The alternative pop musician has developed his own personal style in his discography, and fans will appreciate the way he maintains it in the 10 tracks on “Pony.” O’Connor stays true to his calm indie style in all the tracks on his new album.
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Apple Music
But Pony—written and recorded entirely by the 21-year-old singer-songwriter, with help from producer Ben Baptie—is pop of and for our very share-y times, a set of casual, Frank Ocean-indebted bedroom soul that’s often stunning in its clarity.
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the Music
October 22, 2019. "O'Connor pulls us into his head with highly engaging and relatable lyrics."
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The Breeze
October 28, 2019. “Pony” is a relatively solid collection of tracks that almost anyone can enjoy and find something to take pleasure in. If anything, this album is a reminder as to why Rex caught the attention of the industry only a few years ago. His music has a charming quality to it that warms hearts, and “Pony” exemplifies that.
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The Dialy Campus
October 29, 2019. Rex Orange County’s new album is a beacon of nostalgia and optimism.
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The Current
October 28, 2019. Pony combines the soulful swing of the viral single "Loving is Easy" with the somewhat disorienting unspoken influences that span from R&B to adult contemporary. The best songs on the new album expose all sides of O'Connor's abilities as a songwriter and performer.
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Black Squirrel Radio
October 30, 2019. Overall, “Pony” is cinematic in its delivery, something I didn’t realize was missing in earlier Rex OC albums until I heard it in this one. Although I’d prefer if some of the songs were longer and more developed, the stronger ones are able to make up this loss and bring something new to the table.
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Aternative Zennews
Pony employs a more childlike musical palette than Rex’s earlier projects—bubbly synths, electric piano, programmed beats, bells, strings, and bird chirps—and though there’s still a waxy haze surrounding them, the intensity is dialed up.
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EAST SIDE VIBES
October 29, 2019. Pony may not feel as organized and concise as Rex’s earlier projects, but it still has the quality songs that would be expected from him; do not skip past this record, because it is worth checking out.
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Financial Times
October 25, 2019. Rex Orange County: Pony — thoughtfully constructed songs The Hampshire native’s third album features lyrics that are romantic and melodies that are embellished by horn and string arrangements.
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The Mancunion
November 5, 2019. . . . Pony clearly demonstrates that a new phase has begun. It is creative, poignant and hopeful, and gives us much to expect from this young artist in the coming years.
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34TH STREET
November 4, 2019. The artist's third studio album demonstrates a maturity through the acceptance of the unknown.
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THE PACER
November 4, 2019. This album definitely needs more than one listen to make a judgment of it. From the amount of times I’ve listened to it, I have to give it a 5 out of 10. It has interesting tracks, but its held back by the uninspired, boring tracks that take up most of the album.
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DJBooth
October 28, 2019. If music is about pursuing catharsis and honesty in equal turns, consider the close of Pony to be the pinnacle of that endeavor. Looping back to “10/10,” and running through the album once more, suddenly, there is fresh context to the flecks of darkness. We understand Rex better, as he understands himself better. The pressure’s gone now, and he might just be a 10.
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The Edge
October 26, 2019. This third album isn't a reinvention of the wheel that maybe a few were hoping, but with songs this catchy and immaculately produced, Rex Orange County's third album is a subliminal treat
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The Oswegonian
October 31, 2019. Rex Orange County Creates His Lyrical Masterpiece With ‘Pony’.
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The Observer
November 7, 2019. “Pony” is not a breakthrough album. In fact, for an album about growing up, “Pony” covers hardly any ground.
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Daily TItal
November 7, 2019. After going under the radar for over two years, “Pony” emerged as a refreshing reminder of Rex Orange County’s music: a meticulous mix of different genres rich with dimensions of love, loneliness and everything in between, . . . .
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Her Campus
November 4, 2019. Overall Pony is cinematic. Its only flaw is how short most of the songs tended to be, leaving some songs feeling incomplete. . . . Rex isn’t worried about sounding too pessimistic or shy away from the truth and this album is proof. Being the perfect balance of hopeful and heart wrenching at its finest.
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The Daily Nebraskan
October 30, 2019. Rex Orange County’s new album fails to live up to its predecessors.
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The Rodeo Magazine
November 5, 2019. Pony spans ten tracks – not too long, not too short and about three tracks away from being too pretentious. It’s funky optimism at its finest and it’s just bloody meaningful.
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The Stylus
November 5, 2019. “Pony” is filled with emotional lyrics, sometimes vague and sometimes more personal. O’Connor has worked so hard to make this album a reality and fans can’t wait to see how far “Pony” will take him.
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The Oxford Student
November 8, 2019. Within his new album, Orange County reinvigorates previous undertones of love, hate, anguish, human toxicity and vulnerability, but he does so now even more poignantly and sophisticatedly. Yet, his music is never simply just a depressive spiral, aimed to make his listeners renounce love and all its trickery- he is also quite the philosophical artist.
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The Sphinx
October 25, 2019. Overall, the album serves as an exciting, intricate and honest reintroduction to this young performer. It’s a credit to Rex’s progression as a musician who has been able to produce an album that stays true to his adored sound, whilst still providing tracks that are mature, honest and musically astounding.
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The Daily Iowan
October 28, 2019. British songwriter Alexander O’Connor, better known as Rex Orange County, attacks the ever-present themes of love and inner angst with a blended, experimental sound. Regardless, the music is surely a chill, laidback album perfect for keeping calm in the busy fall.
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The Times
October 25, 2019. Pony — honest songs from a sophisticated musical mind.
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Livewire 1350
October 28, 2019. But despite these achievements and Rex’s explosion to bedroom hip hop stardom, the 21 year old’s latest album Pony paints a very honest and relatable picture of how it feels to be caught up in life and even when it seems everything has come together, losing your way and getting your heart bruised is never far round the corner.
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MYSTIC SONS
October 25, 2019. 'Pony' is not only his best work of his career thus far, but shows us that he is jam packed with fresh and exciting ideas that will no doubt see him through for many years to come.
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LINE TODAY
November 1, 2019. Overall, "Pony" is an album about a life situation that we can imagine experienced by anyone; including a famous musician like Alex O'Connor. There will be many people out there who feel relevant to every track in this album. With the main theme of anxiety and dark times in carrying out the work that we crave, with seasoning stories of friendship and relationships with loved ones.
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The Daily Cardinal
While some might argue it as entirely too pessimistic, I argue that it’s what a lot of music is missing. Rex isn’t worried about hurting feelings, shying away from the honest truth. In a world plagued with negative headlines, Rex is taking his turn, telling those that listen: no one really knows how to deal with it.
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