Drawing us in with a cerebral guitar soundscape with astral tones tapping into a haunting energy, Eshan Agarwal opens The Siren with a cinematic allure as he sings, “We danced the devil’s beat, its steps are cruel and bare, tour promises seemed to vanish in the air, but you’ve got a hold on me, so I’ll make a prayer…”
The production builds with a progressive bassline and dimensionality to take us on a journey of eventual empowerment. In essence, The Siren is about being trapped in a manipulative, seductive relationship. Eshan Agarwal recounts how he is pulled in by charm and promises that never last. Control, imbalance, and emotional dependency define their somewhat toxic bond.
The “siren” imagery frames his muse as alluring but dangerous. This is also reflected by the soundscape with the ethereal, cosmic sound design nuances of the siren’s cry. Her voice draws Eshan close, then abandons him. Attempts to leave her are met with chaos, guilt and restraint. That said, the arc ends in optimism and release. Eshan eventually recognizes the illusion and breaks free as the song closes on notions of recovery, self-possession and choosing peace over enchantment.
The artist philosophically references history by saying, “In the Odyssey, the Sirens call you to their shores. But swimming past the shore, risking drowning, all to avoid being stranded, is one of the bravest things you can do. The Siren explores the pull of a relationship you know isn’t good for you, but you struggle to resist. Again and again you find yourself being drawn in by a voice, presence, or promise, even as it leads toward unrepairable damage.”
We love the spoken word switch up with trap hi-hats before a delicate final reprise, cementing the freedom that Eshan Agarwal feels as he rises in harmony. We could imagine the track manifesting a plethora of sync placements, notably a future season of the Netflix show, Sirens!
As for the production, we learn that Eshan Agarwal wrote, recorded, and produced the track in Manhattan, New York where he was born and raised. He worked with Marrick Smith through the Biscuit Head Collective to produce the song, whilst Anne Preis shared her skill as mixing engineer and Ian Kimmel mastered the track.
We have added The Siren to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of Eshan Agarwal, including till the moment is right, and Lost.