'Wishbone Deluxe' deepens the heartbreak

Back in September, I went to Conan Gray’s Wishbone Pajama Tour. When he announced the release of “Wishbone Deluxe,” I was ecstatic yet terrified of what other perspectives the five new songs would bring.

The five new songs include “Do I Dare,” “House That Always Rains,” “Door,” “Moths” and “The Best.” Each song matches the quality of the original 12 on “Wishbone.” In fact, in my opinion, these songs take an already amazing album to the next level. These songs feel well thought out and expand the story of “Wishbone,” rather than just feeling like leftover songs thrown out to boost sales.

The first deluxe track is “Do I Dare.” It is a perfect transition from “Care,” not only because of the rhyme and the matching cadences he uses to sing “Dare” and “Care,” but “Care” is all about Conan not wanting to reach out to his ex-partner while also still wanting to express that he deeply cares about him. “Do I Dare” continues the idea of caring from far away but expresses the desire to reach out, even just as friends: “Do I dare/ Repair?/ Do I dare/ Reach out and ask you how you’ve been?”

When I first saw the title “House That Always Rains,” I immediately thought of “The Cut That Always Bleeds” from his debut album “Kid Krow.” Thankfully, “House That Always Rains” is nowhere near as painful, although it will still tug at your heart. Gray emphasizes the idea that opposites attract through him and his ex. He sings about finding love despite all the obstacles and differences life presented him.

“When I was writing ‘Wishbone,’ there was really only one love song, that’s all it deserves, and I think that one thing I wanted to touch on with the deluxe was like, ‘Hey, there was still a lot of love here,’” Gray said during a listening party of the deluxe album.

“Door” seems to be a fan-favorite. Fans on TikTok and Reddit are calling it a Jeff Buckley-esque song, a completely new sound that none of his other songs possess. This song is truly heartbreaking. He knows he needs to close the door on their relationship, but at the end of the song, he heartbreakingly sings, “I just need to close this door/ Who do I keep it open for?/ Only you, my love.”

The direct relation between “Door” and “Moth” is genius. “Moth” starts with the same theme of doors: “The door is closed, but the window’s open/ I’ll leave the light on, and I’ll let the moths in.” The connection between the two songs really emphasizes that this relationship meant a lot to Gray, and he is deeply struggling to leave it in the past; in fact, he isn’t shutting down another chance for them at all.

“The Best” was first released as a single before the rest of the deluxe tracks came out. He starts by acknowledging his own selective memory, similar to the song “Caramel” in the original album. This song is realistic and full of conflict; he wants to move on, but wants to get closure. He wants to wish them the best, but also wants to know if they were hurt by the end of the relationship, too.

These five additional songs add depth and reality to the conflicting feelings Gray felt during his breakup. His production and lyrics on these additional tracks, and all of “Wishbone,” are top-notch, and this deluxe album is sure to be on repeat for me.

Rating: 10/10

chaffele@miamioh.edu

Ren Chaffee is a first-year strategic communications major with a minor in rhetoric/writing and has a passion for writing and music. In her free time, she enjoys reading, spending time in nature and writing poetry.