The scene of music is changing, and it’s going backwards — ’80s synth songs are back again with Conan Gray releasing his third studio album “Found Heaven” April 5.
With a drastic shift in sound from his previous albums, Gray teased out the essence of “Found Heaven” over the past year through the release of five singles including, “Never Ending Song,” “Winner,” “Killing Me,” “Lonely Dancers” and “Alley Rose” prior to the 13-track album, all of which highlight his wide vocal range.
“Found Heaven” follows the rhetorical patterns of Gray’s previous albums, with songs focusing on intense feelings and the highs and lows of navigating different relationships. Where this album seems to branch off from his debut album “Kid Krow” and his second album “Superache” is that the songs seem to tell a specific narrative of a singular romantic relationship that gradually goes wrong, to the beat of popular ’80s hits.
The album opens with the title track “Found Heaven.” Gray sets the mood with a satisfying blend of synth sounds, warped background vocals and a soulfully deep voice. The title track serves to detail the relationship between two people who fear their love is a sin, questioning the role God plays in affection and ultimately playing into the religious undertone that the album creates. Gray croons, “Don’t be scared, little child,” while emphasizing “You’re no demon.”
While potentially a song about navigating queer relationships and finding the confidence to love freely, Gray is known to be vague with interchangeable pronouns in his songs when detailing romance. This prevents listeners from knowing too much about his love interests, while in turn allowing a wider range of listeners to relate to his songs. While listeners may speculate about his sexuality, Gray’s music is proof that music is a medium for humanity to relate, grieve and celebrate life — sometimes simultaneously.
Track three,“Fainted Love,” is yet another example of how the singer is able to take inspiration from the decade of synth and bring it to modern music. Lyrics like “Dark room, not a whispering word, Guess you take all the pain that you think you deserve” bring the feeling of love and loss into the album. Grey had spoken about how the song is inspired by the feeling of accepting the love you think you deserve. The upbeat tempo and synthesizer is a perfect juxtaposition of the lyrics, making it fit perfectly into the album tracks.
“Alley Rose” is one of the most lyrically mature songs on the album, with a sound that long-standing fans can pinpoint as the epitome of the gut-wrenching sword that is Gray’s pen. Released as a single before the album, this song is undoubtedly one of the most successful tracks — curated specifically for the tortured romantics. Gray writes for those who often love harder than they want to, and in turn, get burned by yet another relationship.
As a whole, “Found Heaven” is a sophisticated presentation about the stages of love and anxiety, even if it does not feel like it from a first listen. His lyrics often come from a place of internalized doubt from both his familial relationships, and his romantic interests — a feeling many people are no stranger to. This can be seen in his sixth track, “The Final Fight.” Gray sings of a relationship ending, where all he wanted was a final chance to pour his heart out to grieve and let go of the feelings that lingered. This album serves as his final word.
“Found Heaven” is a fun twist in Gray’s discography. He once again proves that even amidst the pain and uncertainty, life is worth dancing through.
