Hide and Hair

Originally from North Wales and Yorkshire, The Trials of Cato are a trio who got together while they were living in Lebanon, where they spent a year developing their musical skills. Returning to Britain, they began to make their mark on the folk club scene with a style that matches old and new songs with impressive musicianship and vocals, along with the confidence to mix subtlety with a good-time stomping approach that would appeal to Seth Lakeman fans.

The set starts with ‘Difyrrwych’, a rhythmic medley of traditional tunes that instantly establishes the empathy between William Addison (Irish bouzouki, accordion and percussion), Robin Jones (mandolin and banjo), and Tomos Williams (guitar and bass). Then they move on to the songs, with ‘Gloria’ – not the Van Morrison classic but a sturdy and unexpected story that involves mining, busking in Camden Town and cross-dressing. Equally effective is ‘Gawain’, their re-working of that medieval story of the supernatural, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Elsewhere, they revive ‘Tom Paine's Bones’, now a rousing banjo-backed anthem, and add a powerful instrumental work-out to the traditional lament, ‘My Love's in Germany’. Hide and Hair, surely, is one of the most impressive debut folk albums of the year.