Music Review // Chris Conroy "Wolves"

https://open.spotify.com/album/39bgR5LN1svhMiWXT34pbF //

The sound of Chris Conroy begins on this song with a voice and an acoustic guitar.   There are beats which come in during the chorus and make it feel like cinematic pop.   On one hand, this has that folk feeling that was brought back to mainstream some time ago by Mumford & Sons.  But there is also this pop element to the beats which makes it feel more like something you'd hear on pop radio vs rock radio, though really it could be on both.   There aren't really a lot of artists- maybe any- who combine these two styles so I don't really have a point to compare this song with other than the two separate elements.

What I like about the song "Wolves" also is that it is about what the title suggests.  There are all of these old quotes and everything about how there are two wolves fighting inside of us and I just feel like it is something which should be explored in art more but I don't seem to hear enough songs about it.   The first part of this song says that he wants to feel in love and hopes someone can teach him, but "Until then I'll howl at the moon / And do what wolves do".    I like that there exists that idea of going out like a wolf and not settling down until you find love.

Later on in the song the lyrics return only this time they are accompanied by "Just know my love was not washed / But I'm not built for the zoo".    This makes it feel more like he's tried love, he's tried settling down and being at home, but it just didn't work for him and so now he must be free and do what wolves do.   In society we have this idea built into us that we are meant to get married, have a family, etc. but that isn't always true for everyone and I think that isn't something which is talked about enough.  Some couples stay together and are miserable because maybe one of the two are not meant to be in a zoo.

By the end of this song, Chris Conroy comes out with the most passionate vocals to sing "So promise me if this is love / That I'm enough / Let me know / Cause I've been broken once before".   The chorus repeats "I can't get you out of my head", so it feels as if Chris Conroy has this love in him and he wants it to work, but he just can't do so by feeling trapped.  One of the last lines is "If you could see the other side / And feel alive / Just step out / Into the wild" which just feels more like he's looking for another wolf- someone who is similar to him rather than him having to change to be like someone else and really that's what love should be about.