Album Review: The Wheat Pool — Hauntario

The Wheat Pool
Hauntario
Shameless Records

“I want to go back to the start,” brothers Mike and Robb Angus sing early into “This Is It.” These words could serve nicely as a mission statement for Hauntario, the sophomore album from Edmonton locals, The Wheat Pool.

Hauntario often feels like an unearthed gem from a past age of country music. With its elegant piano and ghostly pedal steel, standout “One of These Nights” could have been a classic had it been born in another era.

Similarly, “Nervous Bird” and “Italy” both have wordless vocals that call back to yodeling cowboys and give the songs a timeless feel.

The most striking quality of the album is its lack of the bluster and cloying insincerity that often mars much of Nashville-style country. The Wheat Pool don’t go for the fences with broad swings. Instead, they mine the texture and pathos of smaller moments and are all the better for it.

The numerous little details of “Lefty” give a satisfying emotional weight. The two small kids “falling over at the beauty of the world” in “Nervous Bird” seem real enough to see.

The songwriting skill displayed by The Wheat Pool is a rare commodity, and the band uses it to full effect. A consistently rewarding listen like Hauntario is even rarer; albums like this are to be treasured.