Released on February 2nd, Prelude to Ecstasy is the debut album from London-based quintet The Last Dinner Party. With a BRIT Rising Star award and BBC Radio 1 Sound of 2024 already under their belt, the album is a confident display of extravagance and vulnerability, blending alternative, rock and baroque influences with ease.
The title track, ‘Prelude to Ecstasy’, launches listeners straight into The Last Dinner Party’s maximalist realm with a full orchestra: grandiose strings, percussion and a harp set the scene for the melodrama about to unfold. The flourishing overture seamlessly flows into ‘Burn Alive’, a delicate blend of raw lyricism and upbeat instrumentals: ‘let me make my grief a commodity / do what I can to survive’, lead vocalist Abigail Morris sings against ABBA-esque synth.
Defined by its theatrical storytelling, ‘Caesar on a TV Screen’ builds on Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar to explore masculine power and arrogance. Shakespearean drama is combined with references to Leningrad and the Red Scare—the result is a dynamic, charismatic track that ebbs and flows, punctuated with riotous choruses.
‘The Feminine Urge’ contemplates the ever-changing intricacies of mother-daughter relationships: ‘here comes the feminine urge I know it so well / to nurture the wounds my mother held’. Female rage is also apparent, with Morris questioning “do you want me or do you want control?”.
Bursting out from London’s live music scene, The Last Dinner Party have painstakingly honed their sound before presenting it to the world. Performing in pubs and bars across London, a dedicated fanbase has emerged, embracing Velvet Goldmine and Victoriana dresscodes as gigs descend into joyous bacchanals. Alongside the style, there is plenty of substance: ‘On Your Side’ is heart-wrenchingly tender, described by the band as a troubled “love song with its hands tied” that captures the simultaneous pain of holding on and letting go.
Femininity is implicitly explored in ‘Beautiful Boy’—the band’s harmonies melt together as they reflect on the experiences of beautiful boys compared to beautiful girls. “What good are red lips when you’re faced with something sharp?”, Morris wonders. Climaxing in a dynamic crescendo, the frustrations of womanhood are laid bare to listeners.
Keyboardist and vocalist Aurora Nishevci shines on ‘Gjuha’, a pensive track about her Albanian heritage and the shame of not knowing her mother tongue. Its emotional depth and plaintiveness transcend language, with a mandolin and delicate harmonies creating a haunting, wistful tone. ‘Gjuha’ effortlessly morphs into ‘Sinner’, a textbook festival anthem with its jaunty keyboard, thumping bass and ferocious vocals dissecting the blurred lines between love and lust, past and present.
‘My Lady of Mercy’ is a fierce ode to the sapphic shadows of Catholic school. Upbeat claps and guitar strums sharply descend into a carnal chorus, anguished and lustful. ‘Portrait of a Dead Girl’ is equally dramatic, with Gothic imagery of “women protected by a beast on a chain”. With its rousing bridge, vocal flourishes and fading choir crooning “give me the strength”, ‘Portrait of a Dead Girl’ is especially strong.
The penultimate track, ‘Nothing Matters’, was The Last Dinner Party’s first release back in April 2023, rapidly gaining popularity on both the live music scene and social media for its catchy, carefree chorus and ecstastic guitar solo. ‘Nothing Matters’ delivers the album’s promised ecstasy and then some.
Prelude to Ecstasy closes with ‘Mirror’, a dazzling song about the male gaze. It is haunting, melancholic and vengeful all at once, the perfect ending to an album embodying “the pendulum which swings between the extremes of human emotion” according to the band.
Weaving together themes of femininity, love and lust, Prelude to Ecstasy is packed with relatability and rawness, allowing The Last Dinner Party to show off their expansive menu of sounds. As the band continues gracing US, UK and European audiences with euphoric live performances, it is hugely exciting to see what comes next.
Words by Emily Whitchurch
Support The Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.