Conan Gray delivers a career best with his fourth studio album ‘Wishbone’. For his latest offering, Gray reunited with one of pop music’s hottest and most successful producers, Dan Nigro. Nurturing a musical partnership with Nigro has evidently paid off, as Wishbone is extremely introspective, vocally impressive, and shows a more mature, nuanced approach to music from Gray. The 12-track project explores the dynamics and emotions surrounding love, a common theme in Gray’s music, and is also the first album Gray owns the rights to, a massive feat for any artist.
The opening track ‘Actor’ is a guitar led love song about being authentic to one’s emotions surrounding a failed relationship. For Gray, the song is the beginning of the album’s love story arc and “things kind of progress from there”. Gray masters the art of yearning on lead single ‘This Song’. The bedroom pop song is a lush, whimsical arrangement driven by strings, evoking the cinematic warmth of the Goo Goo Dolls’ ‘Iris’, and as a piece, it is a very strong first outing from ‘Wishbone’. The catchy tune was accompanied by a beautiful music video featuring close friend Corey Fogelmanis.
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On standout song ‘My World’, Gray sings about a lover who was his everything, his world. Whilst musing over the toxicity around the relationship, he sings of acceptance and closure. The track is an anthem for owning your actions and putting yourself first, heard in the lyrics “it’s my world and its my life / it’s my girl and its my guy / I’ll kiss them if I might like / I don’t have you in mind / it’s my world and it’s my time / I’ll waste it how I might like / I don’t have you in mind / I don’t have you in mind.” The bridge includes a spoken vocal delivery over a pumpy beat – a Nigro staple also seen on Chappell Roan’s ‘Hot To Go’ and Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Get Him Back!’, among others.
Gray shows total vulnerability on ‘Nauseous’ where he sings “your love is a threat and I’m nauseous / it scares me to death how i want it / it’s not common sense but I’m haunted by people who’ve left / so you scare me to death”. He reflects on his own attachment issues and past love trauma’s, making for a raw and emotional number. ‘Romeo’ has a pleasing 2000’s vibe, reminiscent of ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ with a high, puckered vocal presence whilst ‘Vodka Cranberry’ offers velvety vocals and vibrato.
‘Wishbone’ stands as a confident pop statement, pairing Gray’s impressive vocal prowess with sleek, polished production. In a female-dominated landscape, and during a noticeable drought of male pop stars, Conan Gray’s return is a genuine breath of fresh air.
8/10
Words: Melvin Boateng
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