Wishbone: Maturity without reinvention

By Staff Writer Gaura Armani

Conan Gray released his fourth studio album, Wishbone, on August 15 under Republic Records. Written over the last two years, the album features 12 deeply personal tracks full of Gray’s iconic cinematic storytelling and pop production, balancing out his intimate lyricism. While points lack cohesion, Wishbone is overall a compelling and mature album, adding greatly to Gray’s discography. 

Beginning with “Actor,” the album displays a quiet intensity of vulnerability and restraint. Serving as an emotional roadmap for the album, it incorporates elements like acoustic guitar, adding tension and setting the tone for an album rooted in heartbreak and intimacy. Segueing into lead single “This Song,” Gray dives into the album’s core: a mix of heartbreak and hope, with lyrics that reveal lingering attachment and channeling the yearning of closure. With breezy vocals and rising instrumentals, Gray establishes a bittersweet mood of release and moving forward. 

Wishbone marks significant growth for Gray, as his use of layered production and complexity has come a long way since his debut as a YouTube artist singing in his bedroom. As his career has progressed, Gray has leaned into cinematic orchestration and theatrics such as in Wishbone’s  “Caramel.” Heartful lyrics of open confession like “Promises spoken, all coming back as lies / But you with your soft sweet kiss is all I miss in the back of my mind” are complimented by changes in pace and oscillating background music. “Caramel” is full of bare, honest moments like these, evoking a sense of intimacy between Gray and the listener. 

While Wishbone thrives in vulnerability and cinematic production, the album struggles at points with cohesion. Some tracks, such as “Sunset Tower,” lean too deeply into heavy orchestrals, overshadowing thematic elements of heartbreak shown through lines like “Part of me just wanted some proof / It’s hurting you in the way it’s hurting me too.” Furthermore, tracks like “Care” and “Nauseous” almost blend together because of their similar tempos and synths. As a whole, Wishbone seems to prioritize aesthetics over lyric at times which, while showcasing growth in terms of soundtrack and undertone, limit Gray’s authenticity rather than pushing his music to higher levels of sophistication.

Wishbone is a meaningful addition to Gray’s discography by showcasing his potential to raise his style instead of change it, portraying maturity and growth. The album’s new elements of production, such as his cinematicism and genre-blending, spotlight Gray’s future potential. The album thrives when its stripped-down lyricism, poetic imagery, and recurring motifs amplify Gray’s vulnerable words, transforming raw honesty into cinematic storytelling. Wishbone proves that Gray’s success lies in refining his honesty into theatrical storytelling rather than chasing reinvention.

Grade: B