Conan Gray has always been a storyteller. From his early Kid Krow days where ‘Heather’ took what looked like every single sad playlist across the world by storm, Conan proved his expert knack of spinning together diary-esque narratives with infectious tidal-wave melodies. It’s the kind of tune that rises and falls like some love-sick teenager, and that’s what always rang so true with Gray’s music. It’s his authenticity and confidence – but not just in the sadness, but the euphoria too, that makes him so captivating. Where Gray’s previous project Found Heaven did, admittedly, fail to hit this mark of genuinity, Wishbone continues this legacy – putting him back on track to sad-boy, pop stardom.
Gray really rises to the occasion here, elevating this heartbroken narrative of a summer turned sour into something that feels real
This record opens confidently with ‘Actor’, where we’re met with a gentle wave of sweet guitar strums and vocals. With lyrics like “The church bells won’t stop ringing / For an undead wedding day / And you’ve spent the summer drinking / While I spent it being erased”, this sweetness grows into this cinematic chorus that demands drama – as the drums and violins kick in, we’re not just speeding through the song itself, but an honest coming-of-age story. The following tracks – and also the lead singles for Wishbone – are the same, with ‘This Song’ matching Gray’s honesty and yearning with more orchestral, Disney-like violins. ‘Vodka Cranberry’ is the stronger one of the pair though, with electric hooks and impressive vocal points – Gray really rises to the occasion here, elevating this heartbroken narrative of a summer turned sour into something that feels real, even evoking fitting images of Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name in his music video.
‘Romeo’ is an interesting track that moves away from the orchestral, moving ballads Conan has so clearly mastered. Instead, we’re met with sharp drums, whistling, pitched up vocals and casual speak-singing, like a song pulled straight out of a Dominic Fike record. From the background curse that delivers the song’s infectious drop to this hand-waving, choir chorus (akin to Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘get him back!’), Gray flips the switch and rips into his ex-Romeo, blending some interesting musical influences together and birthing his own.
Gray is good at writing music that feels exactly like what he’s singing about – even if this was all in another language, we’d completely get it
‘My World’ is another cinematic masterpiece. Ironically, it sounds the most similar to other tracks on Found Heaven, with hints of 80’s disco vocals, but there’s something so genuine and nostalgic about it that sets it apart – it’s a sunny car ride, a jump in the ocean, an indie movie shot on film. Conan Gray is good at writing music that feels exactly like what he’s singing about. Even if this was all in another language, we’d completely get it – the same can be said for ‘Caramel’ and ‘Sunset Tower’, the former a snare-crashing song about burnt love, memories gone and a summer he’ll sadly won’t forget. The latter is another indie pop-rock tune, taking the softly sung vocals of The Marias and gentle, head-bopping beat of Clairo, that folds so prettily together to read as something unequivocally honest, sunny and sharp (with lyrics like “I wish you the best but hope you die inside”).
But a Conan Gray album wouldn’t be the same without some more heart-wrenching guitar ballads, and Wishbone is not in short supply. ‘Class Clown’ feels like an older sister to Superache’s ‘Family Line’ – Gray dances around these dark, minor-key melodies with whispers of childhood trauma. ‘Nauseous’ features a soft, aching piano melody and a choir that cries out with revelry. While this track is clearly reminiscent of Lizzy McAlpine’s ‘doomsday’, it still packs a punch, and Conan’s tone is particularly impressive here.
Like the album as a whole, this song could be read as a typical teenage diary entry and maybe a little cliched – but that doesn’t make it any less punchy
The album goes out as strongly as it had arrived. ‘Connell’ circles back to the orchestral violins that made the first half of the record such a tidal wave of emotion. Its most interesting moment certainly comes in at the end, where Gray croons the title and name of this subject again and again, slipping into despair, and this moody instrumental that compliments it gorgeously. ‘Eleven Eleven’ feels very similar to something from Superache, with a sweet-smiling chorus that should be listened to under a starry night sky for full effect. Like the album as a whole, this song could be read as a typical teenage diary entry and maybe a little cliched, sure, but that doesn’t make it any less punchy. It doesn’t achieve anything ground-breaking, new or innovative either, but it’s still a breath of fresh air. It’s sharp, relatable and nostalgic. As for the finale, ‘Care’ brings us back to the electric, summer wave pop sound of Wishbone’s other highlights. Producer Dan Nigro’s guitars and drums rise to the occasion once more, ending this record with a burst of broken-hearted euphoria.
Recommended listening: ‘Sunset Tower’
Words: Christopher Tang
TrueStyleMusic 