BC-based musician Ben Arsenault is set to release his debut solo album on December 2. In advance of the release, he will unveil his second single, “Turning Back,” from the album tomorrow, but lucky Canadian Beats readers get an exclusive first listen!
Known for his work in Vancouver alt-country/jam band Real Ponchos (as vocalist and guitarist), Ben is now pursuing a solo career in more traditional, roots-based country music, which is evident in the wistful and straightforward new single.
“‘Turning Back’ was inspired by a walk in the woods that I took on a sunny fall day with a dog my wife and I were looking after for a friend,” says Ben. “The imagery in the song follows that walk. It was so quiet and beautiful in the woods, I didn’t want to turn back until we got to the edge of a canyon where there was a waterfall, and I was worried the dog was going to fall in, so we turned back towards the road from where we had started out. The line that repeats in the chorus was originally ‘I wouldn’t be strong’, but my wife heard me practicing the song one day and heard it as ‘it wouldn’t be long’. I decided that evoked more of the feelings of commitment and responsibility in the song, so I changed it.”
Review
“Turning Back” starts with a strong solid beat, which is joined by Ben’s expressive and distinctive storytelling vocals.
As the lyrics begin, Ben sings, “I’m not alone, Rolling down this road, Don’t feel like turning back, I wanna keep on,” which launches into the story, which was written while on a walk through the woods with a dog he was petsitting, but could be relevant in many instances.
As the song progresses, Ben continues to evoke passion through his vocals and music. Singing, “One step to the next, As we move in time, Coming back to the road, Big heart on the line,” is a line that could easily be construed as part of a track of new love or various other situations.
The chorus stood out to me. The lyrics “If I gave in every single time, It wouldn’t be long, If I held back every single time, I wouldn’t be long, Here I am again” immediately spoke to me as someone either scared to be themselves or to move forward, which was me for a very big part of my life.
I love a song that can be interpreted differently for different people, and this is certainly that type of track.