Review of The Last Dinner Party: Prelude to Ecstasy – the highly anticipated band of the year exceeds expectations.

It is uncommon for a band to open their first album with an orchestral overture, but that is how the debut of the Last Dinner Party begins. The woodwind, brass, and strings are turned up to the highest level, accompanied by crashing cymbals and shimmering harp. It is a grandiose and bold choice that may seem slightly provocative, but the band is confident in their abilities. In 2024, they have received prestigious awards such as the BBC Sound of… and the Brits’ Rising Star. Their past year has been filled with success and they have already sold out shows with less than nine minutes of released music. They have also gained praise from well-known figures like Florence Welch and Garth Crooks, who took a break from his show to describe them as “fine young women making really exciting pop music.” However, they have also faced accusations of being an “industry plant,” which has become commonplace in the fast-paced music industry of the 21st century.

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The Last Dinner Party: Prelude to Ecstasy album art.

However, it is understandable why some people may view the Last Dinner Party with suspicion. They appeared to have come out of nowhere, but in reality, this was due to their intense preparation during the Covid lockdown. They have a unique style and are known for announcing dress codes for their performances, adding an extra element of creativity and a sense of community. Their first single, Nothing Matters, had a catchy chorus that could easily be imagined as a crowd favorite at a music festival. Their debut album Prelude to Ecstasy is well-produced and features string arrangements that are not as dramatic as one might expect. It also includes some interesting additions from James Ford, such as the shoegaze-inspired outro in the song On Your Side. Despite its quality, the album does not sound drastically different from a video of their third live performance that gained attention on YouTube, leading to interest from major record labels and management companies.

The sound is quite remarkable. While the themed dress code may remind some of Roxy Music in the mid-70s, who never explicitly stated how their audience should dress but seemed to have a strong influence as their concerts were filled with people imitating Bryan Ferry’s style, the most fitting musical comparison would be Sparks, who were contemporaries of Roxy during their glam era. Abigail Morris’s vocal embellishments have a hint of Russell Mael’s style, and Last Dinner Party’s willingness to change tempos and mix musical genres within songs is reminiscent of the duo’s love for drama. In “Our Lady of Mercy,” the music shifts from sophisticated 80s-style pop to a hard-rock grind, while “Sinner” transitions from staccato piano to a Franz Ferdinand-inspired post-punk sound. The band showcases both a pop sensibility and a surprising number of “proper guitar solos,” as praised by Justin Hawkins from The Darkness. Lead guitarist Emily Roberts impresses with soaring and stadium-worthy guitar heroics.

The opera-esque high-pitched singing, abrupt changes in mood and speed, impressive guitar solos, and lyrics that turn romantic struggles into themes of intense crime drama (“now my lipgloss is stained with blood”, “I wish I had the courtesy to rip out my own throat”, “I am a dark red liver on the rocks”): as expected, there are moments when all of this can be overwhelming, such as the sudden introduction of timpani in Mirror or when Beautiful Boy borders on musical theater. However, these moments are rare because Prelude to Ecstasy is filled with exceptionally well-crafted songs. The shifts in rhythm and style are executed seamlessly, avoiding any sense of disjointedness or aimlessness. It’s clear that their dedication to perfecting their craft has resulted in both a strong melodic confidence and an abundance of unforgettable choruses, including Nothing Matters, Feminine Urge, Burn Alive, and even Mirror despite its excessive percussion.

Naturally, they encounter the same issue as other established bands: if you arrive with a defined sound, image, and songs, what comes next? However, Prelude to Ecstasy is a joy to listen to, brimming with enough creativity to indicate that they will continue to generate new ideas in the future. The Last Dinner Party’s self-assurance may not solely be a result of the attention they have received, but also their awareness of their own talent.