Richard Trethewey - Richard Gendall's Cornish 
Protest Songs
Release Date: Out Now
Right, so this is four songs by Richard Gendall performed by Richard Trethewey and one song by Richard Trethewey performed by Richard Trethewey. Still with me? This is a distinctly Cornish affair so have a pint to hand and let's get on with it, shall we? 'Richard Gendall's Cornish Protest Songs' opens with 'Pour Cousin Jack' which might well be an older song but still fits today as the folky jig tells a tale of young Cornish folk unable to live anywhere but a caravan due to the propensity for second homes scattering the county. The gentle twinkle of the piano on 'Silver Net' matches Trethewey's soft vocal perfectly but there's a brooding strength in the cello that adds a stern belly to the song.
The softer approach continues on 'Theft Of the Mackerel Shoals' as Trethewey takes us on a sombre tour of fishing villages and towns that now sit idle and baron due to the lack of fishing in Cornish waters. It's a similar tale on 'Boat For Sale', a beautifully harmonied song that tells of a boat once used for work now being flogged as a piece of memorabilia. Closing track 'Smoking Chimneys' is Trethewey's offering and it is as beautifully sad as a walk through a Cornish village at closing time on Christmas Eve. This is a gorgeous collection of songs and a great slice of Cornish history but it is more than that as well - Trethewey has brought these songs up to date and that means they'll live on, something we should all be grateful for.
More information: https://www.instagram.com/theboytrethewey/