- Sam Edmonds reviews ‘Prelude to Ecstasy’ the debut album from The Last Dinner Party
Is it ambitious if you pull it off? Cause that’s what London five piece ‘The Last Dinner Party’ have done on their fantastic debut album ‘Prelude to Ecstasy’. The orchestral overture of the title track lets you know immediately you are in for a polished, challenging record and there is no track among the 12 that misses the brief.
Gendered comparisons to Wet Leg are inevitable but lazy. Although the impact of this debut may match that of the Isle of Wight duo, musically they are often miles apart. Art-rock is the memo on this LP and its storied influences, Berlin-era Bowie, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, St. Vincent, The Eurythmics and Florence and the Machine all have a little DNA here, but Last Dinner Party are an unique amalgamation.
Long-time Arctic Monkeys and Florence and the Machine collaborator James Ford is in the production chair and has helped the young band indulge every idea on this LP, which is good because almost all them are terrific. The arrangements, structure, sound design and track listing all pull in the same direction, which is rarer than you would think.
Lyrically singers Abigail Morris and Lizzie Mayland deftly tackle difficult subjects like Mother-Daughter relationships on “The Feminine Urge”, and the male power fantasy on album highlight ‘Ceasar on a TV Screen’, a POV of the fragile male ego and how dangerous it can be – read Trump/Boris.
‘Sinner’ showcases Emily Roberts doing her best The Bends era Johnny Greenwood as she puts on tape some of the most exciting sounding lead guitar lines I’ve heard in a few years. Follower ‘My Lady of Mercy’ starts innocuously as a sweet song about young love before the chorus comes crashing in like, well you know…
There are quieter moments as well on showstopper “Beautiful Boy” and closer “Mirror” that show the breadth of mood and dynamic they are capable of as a band, a tantalising prospect for hopefully many more albums to come.
So many acts would give an arm and a leg to have a record this good in their discography and ‘The Last Dinner Party’ have nailed it out of the gate. It is exciting and invigorating music, enough to warm the heart of any rock and roll fan.
