MOLETRAP sounds like three mates who got properly fed up with everyone treating Mid Wales like a motorway service station. Their debut EP tackles that head-on with five tracks that bounce between Welsh and English, refusing to play nice with anyone’s expectations.
“Rhagofn” opens with vocals that could wake the dead before the guitars kick in and remind you why your neighbors hate you. The band’s from three different villages but they all share the same irritation with how their homeland gets written off as boring countryside. Fair play to them – they’ve turned that annoyance into proper bangers.
“Middle of the Land” and “Nation of Sanctuary” dig into the politics without getting preachy about it. They’re clearly wound up about gentrification and cultural bulldozing, but they channel that energy into massive choruses rather than lecture halls. “Taffy” goes straight for the throat on Welsh stereotypes while “What a Beautiful Place” probably isn’t as peaceful as the title suggests.
The whole thing clocks in at just the right length – long enough to make their point, short enough to leave you wanting more. These lads have figured out how to make rural Wales sound dangerous again.
You absolutely need to follow MOLETRAP on Instagram @moletrap_ because if this is just part one, part two is going to be mental.
