Label: Sony Music
Released: 11th March 2022
It takes a brave person to label their album ‘Who Cares?’ – the kind of title that can come back to bite someone on their fourth trip around the full-length block. With a assured, confident sonic embrace, that’s not something Rex Orange County – aka Alex O’Connor – need worry about.
An orchestral swell puts wind underneath the wings of a record that often feels like a sinking back into squishy musical marshmallow. Opener and lead single ‘Keep It Up’ and its positive twist on self-doubt and insecurity is the perfect introduction to an album that understands that introspective thought is never one dimensional. Tyler, The Creator team up ‘Open A Window’ is worth the price of admission alone, while ‘Worth It’ skips through self-doubt with a spring in its step.
An album that’s definitively Rex Orange County, but welcoming enough to be for everyone, ‘Who Cares?’ is personal but oh so relatable. More than enough to ensure continued devotion remains.