Wishbone is the fourth studio album by singer-songwriter Conan Gray. It was released only a year after his previous album, Found Heaven. According to Conan Gray, he has been quietly working on this album for two years during his Found Heaven tour. There are twelve tracks on Wishbone, all sharing a dream-like sound led by compelling guitar melodies.
Although I am no music expert, I am a prolific listener of pop music and music in general, and I have a good understanding of what a good album entails. I will be rating a couple of songs on the album based on the lyricism, storytelling, and production.
This Song
“This Song” is the second song on Wishbone, and it is a typical love song, with lyrics describing the yearning and love before tragedy. It starts the trilogy of Gray’s characters, Wilson and Brando, which are based on his past relationships. Lyrically, it is as descriptive as a love song could be, describing everything Gray notices and loves about his romantic interest. Production-wise, the music itself is very captivating with a harmonic violin motif playing throughout the song.
Caramel
“Caramel” is the last song in the Wishbone trilogy. It is the conclusion to the story, in which Gray recounts all of the times his partner has done him wrong. Despite all of the fights, however, Gray still wants to get back together with him. In my opinion, the lyrics comparing their relationship to burnt, sticky caramel to represent how he can never forget it. To me, it is a very smart comparison. Musically, it is my favorite song out of the whole album. It’s very catchy, and I love the loud and carefree sound of Caramel.
Eleven Eleven
“Eleven Eleven” is the eleventh track on Wishbone. In the song, Gray sings about his past relationship and how he is unable to let go of it. He specifically uses the imagery of superstition, like shooting stars, angel numbers, and clovers, to symbolize how he tries to reminisce solely on the positive aspects of this past love. Personally, I think the symbolism in the song is very original and clever, and it conveys the emotions of the song very well. The production is a bit minimal compared to the other songs on the album; however, it is still very compelling.
Overall, this is one of my favorite releases from Gray this year. Subjectively, Wishbone is my favorite from Gray, and I feel like the sound of the album really fits him. While Gray is known to be a good songwriter, I feel as though this album is the best example of his lyricism and storytelling. His lyrics and the way he conveys his stories through his music videos have impacted me greatly, and many others, too.
