The Last Dinner Party Take Us on a Cinematically Emotional Adventure with Prelude To Ecstasy
The Last Dinner Party’s highly anticipated debut album was destined to be anything but timid, and Prelude to Ecstasy proves exactly that.
Indie/Rock band The Last Dinner Party are the industry’s greatest secret right now. You could be forgiven for not yet having them on your radar, but come summer, they’ll be earworming their way into your life like never before.
Establishing themselves as fixtures on London’s live circuit in the wake of the pandemic, the five-member ensemble quickly secured a major label contract with Island Records. And now, just weeks after being crowned winners of the Brit Awards’ Rising Star prize, British alternative rock band The Last Dinner Party has graced the world with their debut album, Prelude to Ecstasy. Since the release of their breakout single, Nothing Matters, in April of 2023, fans all around the world have eagerly awaited the arrival of the viral sister’s tracks.
Taking listeners on a theatrical journey – in keeping with their vintage coquette style – Prelude to Ecstasy kicks off with an ambitious orchestral introduction. It leads into the following eleven captivating tracks that leave us wide awake and mesmerisingly giddy. Burn Alive launches a passionate and thrilling ride as the first lyrical track on the album. The extremities of desire, rage, and heartache bring listeners on an emotional rollercoaster throughout. Track three, Caesar on a TV Screen, takes us through each of these, beginning as a melancholic daydream, before eventually crashing into a loud cry of desperation.
The Feminine Urge carries on to capture the experience of being a woman and the intense emotions that come with it, with lines such as “Do you want me or do you want control?” exploring the power held by men in society. Next, On Your Side marks a turning point for this album, offering a story of unrequited love, and undoubtedly displaying lead singer Abigail Morris’s vocal talents. A shift in energy is apparent and exhibits the band’s ability to write a well-rounded story. The group adds a classical baroque twist to modern indie rock, with their operatic vocals and invigorating guitar solos.
Beautiful Boy is a slow-burn that leads with a gentle piano ballad, exposing more of the band’s classical side, while delivering powerful feminine lyrics – “What good are red lips when you’re faced with something sharp?”. Following this, keyboard player Aurora Nischveci breaks out into cryptic vocals in the album’s centrepiece, Gjuha, providing listeners with a sense of serenity among a wild ride. Moving further, Sinner offers an alluring story of romance, transitioning back into an upbeat and energetic style, maintaining a pace that is quick and exhilarating.
Prelude to Ecstasy is a melodramatic story of girlhood and uses excellent lyrics and imagery to take listeners through a range of feelings that are all too familiar. Diving into the tail end of the album, My Lady of Mercy is nothing if not eccentric, painting a picture of confidence and intention in its lyrics. They leave euphoric debut Nothing Matters for second-last, nearly tying the album together before the remarkable and introspective finale, Mirror, leaves you in deep thought.
Prelude to Ecstasy boldly asserts that this band is far from shy – delivering a hypnotic experience that demands attention and commands the spotlight. As their debut, it is only a glimpse into their creative abyss – propelling listeners into a state of anticipation. An infinite horizon awaits their next release.
