Rex Orange County - UNO

Hyped by Tyler, the Creator and scouted by Badbadnotgood for a collaboration, life’s looking rosy for Rex Orange County. But Alex O’Connor’s latest track finds him at a low ebb. “How will I admit that I am falling apart?” the 18-year-old asks, over playful keys. “I should just say ‘Fuck it’ and be happy instead, right?”

On early bedroom recordings - patched together on debut release ‘bcos u will never b free’ - Rex put his feelings in the shop window. ‘UNO’ finds him upping the stakes. “Nothing brings me joy and nothing makes me smile,” he lists off to an imaginary counsellor, running parallel to bashful horn sections and those smile-first-think-later keys. Sarcastic, wit-fledged and full of charming rough edges, Rex has nothing to hide.