7/10

Throughout his esteemed career to date, Rex Orange County has always looked to explore a more diverse and intricate approach to the conventional pop arena. Adopting commercially-charged ideas that still manage to cultivate something interesting about them, he has always maintained a firm and assured reputation for more passionate compositions than most. And after a few years away from the limelight, he now returns with his eagerly-awaited fifth studio album 'The Alexander Technique', a record that sees him venture further towards an innovative pursuit throughout.

Maintaining plenty of that warm and alluring presence he is known for, 'The Alexander Technique' comes across as a far more pensive and emotive release than much of his prior material. Stripping back much of his usual fanfare to explore more sombre and atmospheric ideas here, his newest collection breathes with this rich and inviting aesthetic that sees him returning to the fold with some of his more wistful material to date.

It certainly has been a troubling time for him recently, but 'The Alexander Technique' sets itself as a fresh start for him. Brimming with more of that uplifting Rex Orange County flow he has built over the years, he returns with a strong and confident array of delights here.