While the stereotype could not be further from the truth, its pervasiveness goes a long way towards explaining why Welsh artists - especially ones who are playing with innovation and experimentation in their sound - might feel somewhat conflicted about directly engaging with their regional roots. Even more so if said roots lead to a part of the country which is generally perceived as peaceful, uneventful, and a portrait of rural emptiness, as is the case with Mid Wales.
Such a complex relationship, confrontational at times, loving at others, is what emerges through the latest effort of alternative rock trio Moletrap, who, while currently operating out of Bristol, hail originally from the Welsh region of Powys. In the past, they have adopted a rather cheeky approach to the looming shadows of Welshness, blending their influences with elements of country-rock and grunge-like guitar riffs. Now they are confronting the topic head-on, with the release of a new EP titled ‘Mid Welsh - Part 1’, a sign obviously that this exploration is only just beginning.
This is an exciting band with an eclectic and confident sound, and musically, the EP is brimming with that confidence, resulting in a broad, loud, and often heavy-hitting approach to the guitar sections, especially. You have to love a band that manages to create so much organised noise with only three members, and organised noise is an excellent way to describe the opening track, ‘Rhagofn’, which sets the tone for the entire record by coming in hard (with all guitars blazing, so to speak) and not relenting until the last bars. There are some bits of genre-bending experimentation, especially in the harmonisation of the vocals and the switching of different tempos, which might remind a listener of what other contemporary acts like False Heads or Pyncher are doing, but the way the vocals are handled in particular is truly unique to the Welsh trio and an asset that makes this song - and the EP overall - memorable. ‘What A Beautiful Place’ likewise has an interesting treatment of vocals supported by truly versatile guitar lines which incorporate in equal measure the flourishes of pizzicato and the hard-hitting, scratchy sound of the grunge riff. Something in the musical structure of the song borrows from the traditional Celtic trappings of Welsh folk music, weaving them into something that is not folk-sounding at all: a truly clever innovation that confirms the trio’s ability to play with sound suggestions that can be at times very distant from each other and blend them into something coherent.
The last two tracks in the EP, titled respectively ‘Middle Of The Land’ and ‘Nation Of Sanctuary’, feel like the most topical when it comes to addressing the band’s relationship with the place they have come from; the former is easily the most punk-adjacent of the five songs in the record, although its broad-sweeping central sections border on the anthemic; it has the restless energy that you’d expect at a contemporary punk gig. The latter, on the other hand, is a moody closer to the EP, which starts with a Guns N’ Roses-style ripple of guitar to then almost immediately descending into something that might be related in equal measure to slam poetry, classic rock, and even heavy metal. By contrast, ‘Taffy’ is a more light-hearted - cheeky, even - offering, eminently danceable and fast-paced, once again displaying this band’s versatility and full command of their sound. These are artists who know perfectly well what they sound like, and they are not at all afraid to have fun with it.
Engaging, full of energy, riotous in places, and holding up perfectly well upon repeat listening, this EP is a joy throughout and a perfect display of what up-and-coming Welsh artists can do, breaking through all stereotypes and schemes of what they might be expected to do. It is filled with a delight in making music that would translate very well to a live gig, but also with an openness to self-reflection that never feels put-on or ostentatious. If this is only Part 1, it is safe to say that we can expect some very interesting things from any Part 2 that might follow it.
Chiara Strazzulla
Image: Hayden Ward Streeter