Even after years of living in the same area, there can be mind-bending moments of revelation about its layout. An attempt to avoid traffic or a time-killing meander on a weekend morning gives way to a mix of novelty and confusion as a new pocket of the district materializes like a dream about hidden rooms in a childhood home. Suddenly, a recognizable cross street appears, and for a few seconds, it’s hard to reconcile with all the new ground that was just covered. Just around the corner, the old landmarks take shape and logic returns. Despite spending the last several minutes in a seemingly unfamiliar place, perhaps you barely left your neighborhood. This kind of pathfinding lies behind the name Way Through, a collaborative album between Toronto musicians Chris A. Cummings, Joseph Shabason, and Thom Gill under the moniker Cici Arthur. Way Through was released on February 21.
The title track from the band’s new LP is a soothing soul ballad that hints at nostalgia while penning heartbreaking poetry of modern love. The single is a no-frills approach to modern soul music with droning yet welcoming horns that slowly emerge from behind the palpable longing in the vocals. The subtle ambiance of it all acts as a plush canvas for Cici Arthur to paint their vivid picture, and that picture is what makes the track truly shine. The band’s approach to songwriting is relentlessly vulnerable, weaving together moments that hurt at the time and showing the listener how these moments build up into lasting emotions. We’re all familiar with sad love songs, but how this band spins these familiar feelings makes them feel brand new. Throughout the song, the band is searching for “perfect,” but their idea of this loose concept is simple: The band wants things to go back to normal. Whatever “normal” means is up to the listener’s interpretation, but either way, “Way Through” is here to soundtrack your search. The title track from Cici Arthur’s latest effort is a noir-style soul ballad aimed directly at your emotional core as the band builds a bridge between artist and listener with brutal honesty.
