Review: Trials of Cato, The Jam Jar – ‘A perfect mashup of pop and folk’

On a rainy November evening, with loads of other folk-y bands playing around the city, it is a testament to the excitement building around Trials of Cato that so many are packed into The Jam Jar.

In 2018 their debut album, Hide and Hair, was justifiably critically acclaimed.

A brilliant band, formed in Lebanon but hailing from Wrexham, often singing songs in Welsh, they cooked up dizzying tunes for guitar, mandolin and banjo.

For their second album, Gog Magog, Trials of Cato added Polly Bolton, ex of The Magpies, and a huge, pop-tinged folk monster was born.

Starting with the ridiculously infectious Difyrrwch, it’s not long before there’s plenty of good-natured stomping and exuberant whistles.

Owing a tiny debt to Bellowhead’s Dragon’s Teeth, it’s fitting that Difyrrwch translates, broadly, as “fun” or “enjoyment”.

Robin Jones on Mandolin and Bolton on bouzouki creating enough bounce to beckon everyone onto the dancefloor.

Jones sings Haf, taken from the debut album, in Welsh and it’s a lovely, gentle thing. Mandolin and banjo underpinned by Tomos Williams’ fluid guitar playing, slowing the pace just a little, allowing breath to be caught.

Only for a second though.

Ring of Roses, from Gog Magog, is a creepy goth-folk tune, Bolton’s twisted-nursery-rhyme tones sitting in juxtaposition to the apocalyptic nightmare of the lyrics. By the end banjo and mandolin have chased the devil out of the song, stomping its carcass with glee.

Bolton’s voice is an extraordinary thing. At times dusky and dark, at others it’s strident and strong.

On Boudicca c AD60 she suffuses a ballad with utter fearsomeness, there’s true feminine steel delivered with the lightest of bouzouki led touches.

Finally, she takes the tune off into somewhere that’s almost countrified, that’s almost a hoe-down. On brand new song, Antigonish, she throws herself into a festival flavoured party groover.

Banjo, bouzouki and guitar sweatily joining hands for a Led Zeppelin-style stomp.

The other fantastic voice that Trials of Cato possess belongs to Jones. If Bolton gives the band an irresistible pop edge, then Jones brings some Welsh fire.

Aberdaron is wonderfully lyrical, a poem by Albert Cynan Evans-Jones given the epic Cato treatment. It is music to fight dragons by, to storm castles to, to roar across valleys.

Here it inspires massed stomping and clapping, a bit of Bagpuss-mandolin placing a touch of gold into all of that blood-red.

Yma O Hyd has become the unofficial anthem of the Welsh football team and Trials of Cato simply attack it, rip it to shreds.

Jones sings while Bolton and Williams add harmonies, all three are rousing, passionate until, finally, Bolton can take it no longer and thrashes at her mandolin, unleashing her inner rock god(dess).

The crowd in Bristol’s very finest, most wonderfully eclectic venue, are right up for a dance though. Fortunately, Trials of Cato come pre-packed with some brilliant tunes.

Kerhonkson Stomp is the sound of a raucous Saturday night that almost threatens to topple into Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain.

Kadisha is a set of tunes from the debut and inspires wild country-dancing towards the bar, there’s linked arms and silly grins all over the place.

A set of Serbian tunes comes with a ridiculously complicated clapping assignment, a tricky time signature and more crazed dancing while Balls to the Wall adheres to its dumb-metal title and rocks out.

There’s the odd hair-flail in Led Zeppelin’s direction, the smoke from an Eastern European bazaar and enough banjo and mandolin grooviness to keep the dancefloor delightfully busy.

Every now and again a folk-ish band breaks through and makes everyone fall in love with them.

Trials of Cato should be the next one that the nation takes to their hearts. As perfect a mashup of pop and folk, power and passion as you could ever imagine.

Main photo: Gavin McNamara

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• Review: Slowdive, SWX – ‘A woozy escape from reality’

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