Pursuing the pastoral
Not to worry, true blue rockers — this album isn’t nearly as pastoral as the band’s name might suggest. It does, however, live up to the first part of the made-up compound word that serves as its title: it will haunt you.
The Wheat Pool have released what is sure to be one of the finest albums that will see the light of day this year, possibly the best Canadian release you’ll hear in 2009. It’s a collection of fairly dark songs of separation, desperation, isolation, and loneliness made easier to stomach due to the band’s complete mastery of melody and harmony.
As I mentioned previously, for me the album hinges on the earth-shattering “Right Arm,” a capital-G Great song that is every bit as beautiful as the story it tells is not. The band sheds its previous alt-country dependency in favour of more dynamic rock elements, transitioning from a lonely acoustic guitar at its opening to a crest of power chords and wailing vocal harmonies. This song gets heavy as fuck, the emotional tenor and lyrical content illustrating a genuinely heartbreaking tale of how drugs can tear two people apart in ugly ways. It might be the result of my own recent failed relationship and my current emotional fragility, but this song is the saddest thing in the world to me right now. I’ve listened to it at least 100 times in the last month. Its uplifting to see a band that doesn’t shy away from honesty and genuine emotion, even when it isn’t pretty and won’t get you spins on the radio.
Another highlight is the patient, sparse “Evangeline,” a tale of death and longing that highlights the Wheat Pool’s knack for simile and evocative storytelling. Robb Angus (I think; two brothers share singing and songwriting duties) outlines a cathartic juxtaposition as he remembers the passion and desire he felt for the title character while watching her life slip away. Angus scores one of the album’s best lines here, likening the sight of her death to snow falling on a tract of evergreen trees. It paints a serene, sophisticated picture that one doesn’t often see in modern music.
There are some more agrarian moments throughout Hauntario’s running time that call back to the more typical alt-country of the groups debut, namely the steel guitar that slides through a majority of the songs. “One of These Nights” could be a classic mope-country “she’s leaving” tune, its refrain (”They don’t know what we’re going through/we got a lot of cryin’ to do”) a sentiment as old as the Tennessee Three. “I’m Not Here” is a straight-up modern farming tale, talking about how difficult life has become for prairie dwellers with the disappearance of hundreds of the band’s namesake’s grain elevators from the countryside, ever-dwindling rail service, and the urban exodus. Their vision of the Canadian prairie is decidedly bleak, with nothing but empty parking lots and buckling church buildings dotting the landscape. “Nervous Bird” and “Italy” fall somewhere between country and emotive indie, the former showcasing the band’s ability to turn anything into a sad song, even what should be an upbeat tale of love (with handclaps even! Handclap songs are always happy songs!). Both boast unimpeachable melodies that will stay with you long after the track ends.
Its always difficult to enunciate exactly what makes a great album truly special. These songs have an irresistible duality, being simultaneously melancholy and almost unbelievably pretty and melodic. The lyrics are some of the most evocative I’ve heard in recent years, each song standing on its own as a complete and engaging narrative. The Angus brothers trade off on lead vocals and harmonies but their collective voice is unified in its intent and its power.
The final track says it all, really. It’s a loping track with gorgeous piano and violin flourishes, possibly the most heartbreaking musical number here. But lyrically it contains the album’s sole hint that things might just be okay, with an Angus pleading, “Promise me we’ll never be too (or more likely “two” as the song’s title suggests) far apart.” On an album this solid it would be almost impossible to go out on a bad note, but that glimmer of optimism definitely makes it the right one to close with. Its like being handed an ice cream cone as soon as you step off an (emotional) roller coaster.
Verbose over-analysis aside, this is just one of those albums that reaffirms why I listen to music. Don’t miss out.
the Wheat Pool - This Is It [4:33m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download the Wheat Pool - Right Arm [4:48m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download the Wheat Pool - Evangeline [4:28m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadBuy Hauntario and the debut album Township from Shameless Records website. iTunes is also on that.
