Track By Track: Kris Angelis Breaks Down New EP That Siren, Hope

Kris Angelis gets right to the root of the most complex emotions through her introspective approach to songwriting.

Having garnered critical acclaim for her 2013 EP Left Atrium, as well as her 2018 EP Pieces That Were Stolen, the award-winning singer and storyteller returns in 2020 with her newest collection That Siren, Hope. Bringing together six poignant tracks, the EP helps ease the pain of heartbreak by exploring a relationship that has come to an end, the emotional turmoil that occurs as a result, and the daunting struggle of rediscovering oneself in the rise from the ashes.

Kris broke down That Siren, Hope track by track for Musical Notes Global readers. Check out her thoughts below.

“I Hope I Never Fall In Love Again”

I Hope I Never Fall In Love Again was written from a place of not wanting to feel the pain of a broken heart again. From the place of feeling like "better to have loved and lost than to never have loved" might be crap ;) Feeling like you couldn't really fall in love again, anyway because your heart is already given, which could be a good thing - a declaration of faithfulness, but in this case it's not a situation where the person can give you theirs in return, or at least, a relationship cannot be fulfilled. Even though the title of the song seems grim, it's more about that feeling, than an actual desire because, of course, we want to fall in love again, but we want it to LAST. “I Hope I Never Have A Crush Again” might have been more accurate (but somewhat less impactful) because falling in love with someone seems to indicate mutuality, which I was lamenting the lack of. It circles back to that truth of being a hopeless (or hopeFUL?) romantic and admitting that if I ever felt for someone again, I'd jump in, heart first, like I always do.

“Brighter Blue”

When you’ve been feeling very down and very blue, there usually (hopefully) comes a time when you are feeling a bit better. You’re not happy yet, but you’re a brighter shade of blue. You can see that there might be a light coming around the bend or just below the horizon. That’s what Brighter Blue is about.

“Ghost”

Ghost is about remembering someone fondly and giving it another try and then remembering why it didn’t work out in the first place. Those old rose-tinted hazy edged film reels that play in the back of your mind often edit out the bad stuff. It’s about someone who disappears like a ghost but also makes you feel like a forgotten and unseen ghost who has unfinished business. The song has an uplifting and empowering message of declaring in the face of that, that you’re still alive and breathing, with a beating heart that deserves real love.

“That Siren, Hope”

There is a Greek myth about mermaid-like creatures who sang beautiful songs that would lure unsuspecting sailors to their watery death as their ships crashed against the rocks. In my lower moments, I have felt like that is what hope is. When you get all excited about something only to be bitterly disappointed in the end, it can feel like hope is dangerous even though it is usually a good thing that keeps us going in the dark like a lighthouse. “I thought that shine was a lighthouse/but it was just that siren, Hope/turns out her song was just a joke.” There is a lot of imagery in the lyrics inspired by Northern California.

“If I Can’t Have What I Want”

There are times when it’s still healing, that trying to open your heart just reminds you of what you can’t have. It starts to feel like wanting anything is a painful and futile effort so maybe it’s safer and more practical not to want anything and avoid the heartache - geez, can you tell I was going through some stuff when I wrote this album?! The lyrics say “If I can’t have what I want, then I’ll want nothing at all” and at the end “then I’ll want what I can’t have, because I can’t have you.” It’s admitting what you want while reluctantly resigning yourself to not getting to have it. I think this is a relatable feeling but I have to keep reminding myself and anyone who feels the same that if you don’t get to have something, it’s just not yours, and there is something out there that is.

“Misplaced Hope”

I tried to end on a somewhat positive note with a song that has the same theme of unfulfilled desire as the rest of the album but with a comforting call not to be afraid because though you may feel like all hope is lost, it’s just misplaced. It’s not gone, you just put it in the wrong specific thing or person this time and that doesn’t mean you should give up or stop loving and trying with all your heart.

Listen to That Siren Hope below.