Eli Conley‘s Searching For What’s True is a testament to his pursuit of excellence. We spoke with Conley last week about his efforts to help singers on testosterone find their literal voice. On Searching For What’s True, it’s clear that Eli has found his.
Searching For What’s True soars upon songs that embrace a sense of self and one’s connections to others: “Hey That’s Me” and “Making Something New” are defiant anthems for the gender creative among us. “My Mama Is a Shining Light” details the story of a girl growing up in a conservative Christian community and sticking with her mother after she comes out. These stories celebrating the challenges and triumphs of the queer experience — told with Conley’s angelic tenor and big-hearted views of humanity — deliver truths about humanity’s courage.
Conley dives into our weakest moments, as well. The deeply affecting “All Right” finds a shattered lover confronting their partner about infidelity. Conley’s performance on the song is striking: heartbroken, pained — but also a sense of pride in knowing that it’s time to move on. Conrad Sisk’s cello does much to make this one of the album’s standout songs.
For all Conley searches for his internal truths here, the external ones hit hard. “I Don’t Know” vents frustration with the climate crisis and its attendant politics of hate. But Conley presents the antidote: “We Keep Each Other Safe” is a handbook for solidarity amidst crisis. Written as a special project with SURJ (Showing Up For Racial Justice), Conley distills concepts like prison abolition, gentrification, and anti-racism into an easily understood mantra: that we can do more together than we can apart.
Eli Conley’s Searching For What’s True is available on all platforms now.