English singer-songwriter Alexander James O’Connor, formally known as Rex Orange County, breaks the status quo by blending different genres such as jazz, hip hop, bedroom pop, and indie rock. 

O’Connor returns to the music scene after a two-year hiatus with his highly-anticipated album, “The Alexander Technique,” released on September 6. O’Connor gives listeners a deep dive into his back pain further revealing internal struggles and the process of finding balance every day. 

The album features 16 unique and different songs each with their own personal message.

•  “Alexander” 
•  “Guitar Song” 
•  “2008” 
•  “Therapy”
•  “4 In The Morning”
•  “Jealousy”
•  “The Table”
•  “Pure” 
•  “One of These Days”
•  “Carrera”
•  “Much Too Much”
•  “Sliding Doors”
•  “Lost For Words”
•  “Look Me In The Eyes (feat. James Blake)”
•  “New Years” 
•  “Finally”

In an interview with Billboard, O’Connor opens up about his thoughts and the message shown in the album.

“Writing this album is what made me stronger in the end,” O’Connor said. “As much as I still have terrible posture, it was more so being honest that’s my actual Alexander Technique, me being myself rather than Rex Orange County.”

After the first couple of songs, showing him opening up to his struggles and his uncertainty and lack of self-confidence. We see a shift in the song “2008” which gives a sense of nostalgia and a recollection of past childhood memories a longing to be back in those days. Showing in the lyrics, “This was a simpler time, Simple days, 2008.” The song also gives a nod to the memories of O’Connor’s first discovery of music and how his obsession came to be. The lyrics say: “Every day, pushin’ in my CD player, Listen like I’m insane.”

Then it goes into the song “Therapy,” where O’Connor takes listeners into the setting of a therapy session and how therapy helped him throughout his career, relationships, and life struggles. In his lyrics, he states, “I wouldn’t be here now if I failed, to take the time to care for myself” and “We all need a bit of validation, and that’s okay, All I really want is to feel a peace, to find my place.” 

This song reflects on how people can get disconnected from life and try to find a way to pull them back in. 

In the song “Jealousy,” O’Connor is transparent about when he was plagued by jealousy and serious times of overthinking. Then he moves into songs like “The Table,” “One of These Days” and “Much Too Much,” which dig into the strong emotions that come with loving someone.

 

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Throughout the album, each song feels like an emotional rollercoaster alluding to the ups and downs. O’Connor’s vulnerability helps the audience relate to anyone going through the same thing. His album displays the highs of O’Connor’s life with him feeling passionate, positive, and strong feelings of loving someone, then the lows of how tragedy and difficulty in life affect him and how he chooses to deal with his struggles. O’Connor’s album encourages his audience that whatever they are going through they are not alone.

Rex Orange County kickstarted his 2024 Finally Tour in the U.S. and UK. To buy tickets, head to rexorangecounty.com. The first show starts on Oct. 4 in Chicago, IL, and the last show on Feb. 22 in London, England.

If you would like to listen to similar artists like Rex Orange County check out The Walters, JVKE, and Bruno Major.

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To read more from the Feather, visit Central Valley’s 29th Honor Flight or Introducing the 2024-2025 Feather Team.