West Wales cult band Lafant release debut album

Ben Isaac-Evans

A year on from forming, now with a growing cult following and countless energetic gigs under their belt, West Wales three-piece Lafant release their debut album today. 

Balancing confidence and anxiety, Lafant’s debut album channels the raw sound of the 90s with a happy-go-lucky modern twist. 

Segurdod (literally, idleness) contains 10 songs full of introspection, subtle lyrics, set against crunchy guitar, and a powerhouse rhythm section.

With influences from the zenith of guitar bands, the mid-90s, from Grunge and Slacker, to obviously melodic Britpop favourites The La’s, The Bluetones, Longpigs and Welsh favourites Big Leaves, the band match the musical style with the same carefree, edgy delivery and iconic live performances, epitomised by lead-singer and primary songwriter Mefin Hughes’ charismatic, lazy drawl. 

Recorded over seven frantic days, with the band yet again teaming up with Mike West in his Borth studio, the band’s youthful energy and directness translate beautifully through their live recorded sound, with their layering of gritty guitars, and woven together by Mike’s wonderful recording skills. 

The album’s opener, and lead single, O! Mor Las (Oh! So Blue) is a fantasised conversation between singer Mefin Hughes and his younger self, full of self-loathing and self-pity, but delivered with swagger and a happy-go-lucky attitude.

The album moves through the raw rock’n’roll of Gwerth Pob Ceiniog (Worth Every Penny), before the love song Asgwrn Cefn (Backbone), with its self-confidence and insecurities in equal parts. The Second single, Olwen, named after the Mabinogi story, is an epic tale depicting the title character. The band flit through genres, from the heavy guitars of Fan Hyn (Here) and the proto rock of Mentro (Risking) to the soaring finale of Tlws yw Fy Nghariad and the quintessentially Lafant-sounding Hyfryd (Wonderful), with its confident storytelling culminating in the inclusion of the line “It’s so wonderful to be alive”.

The varied, enigmatic album ends with Y Sarff (The Serpent), an unapologetic bluesy number with a distinct slacker chorus, reminiscent of Weezer. Its Adam and Eve imagery, which is peppered throughout the album, hints at the themes of lust, greed, sleeze, and ultimately of all the other things that drive you forward in your early 20s. 

The artwork was made by Welsh-born artist RoHoFro, inspired by the band’s lyrics, depicting epic fables through a lens distorted by the pains and euphoria of modern life. Like their songs the image is full of intriguing details, half-stories, winked whispers and tongue-in-cheek confessions. The two lead singles were accompanied by music videos made by the frequent collaborator Nico Dafydd (O! Mor Las), and DIY filmmaker Sam Stevens (Olwen), with both seeing the band hone their brand through fresh ideas nodding cheekily towards their past influences. 

Segurdod is released digitally on Cardigan-based community-owned record label Fflach Cymunedol. Follow Lafant on Instagram and stream the new album on Spotify and all other platforms.