New Music: KARISHA – siren song

KARISHA’s latest single siren song is exactly that, drawing the listener into what becomes a powerful dark pop ballad.

I have a weak spot for music that evokes strong visual images in me as a listener, and this standout moment from KARISHA’s recently released NOT RELATABLE EP excels in that department.

With an arrangement that takes from the baroque and the gothic, siren song could easily be the soundtrack to a pivotal scene in films like Only Lovers Left Alive or Bram Stoker’s Dracula from 1992, full of character, colours, and revelation in a time of crisis. Equally, the song itself tells a story, one where the horror is human-made and not easily or often spoken about, one where the vocals of KARISHA swoop from the divine to the devastated with ease. 

It means that song carries a strong message, one that comes through acutely in a grand style, here and on the EP’s six tracks. Says the artist of NOT RELATABLE, “The things I decided to talk about are not light and mostly unravel something uncomfortable: obsession, guilt, shame, need, stalking, and objectification. All of that mixes together and creates a world I wish no one could relate to, but unfortunately that’s the reality for far too many people. I really hope it’ll find its listeners and make at least one person feel less alone.”

She adds, “This is a story about slowly losing yourself in someone; each song explores its own form of obsessive behavior. The musical tones are mostly dark but welcoming; the structure is uneven – the form is constantly evolving through tempo changes. Ever-present vocal glitches and pitched-down parts are my favorite ways to add emotional depth. This EP gifted me a very memorable year, and I met a lot of wonderful people thanks to it.”

NOT RELATABLE is out now, and you can hear the whole EP on SoundCloud and Spotify. For all the latest news from KARISHA, make sure you head to Instagram and click on that follow button.