A meteoric rise and well-deserved, to say the least. The Last Dinner Party has been building to this great and emotional release. Not just in releasing an album, but the striking charm and string of perfection across five singles, kickstarted with the social media sensation Nothing Matters, is a deep dive into the trust placed by the right people in a band whose efforts and outcome on their debut, Prelude to Ecstasy is truly unique. There is no way around it. This is an all-time great. Make no mistake when listening in to the likes of Nothing Matters. Contrary to the fiery and vacant perspective on the wildly moved and instrumentally gifted debut single, some pieces do matter. Prelude to Ecstasy certainly does – one of the modern classics which sees The Last Dinner Party troupe up there with the likes of Sloppy Jane, The Waeve and Chloe Gallardo as unsung titans.
No matter how much or how well Prelude to Ecstasy is received, it will be undersold as the album which spawned killer singles like My Lady of Mercy and Caesar on a TV Screen. Each of these has its place, shored up well in this twelve-track titan. Ground yourself though. As crucial a release as this is – a genuine payback to the foundations of the UK scene bubbling away over the last two years – it is early doors for the band. Prelude to Ecstasy nicely recontextualises the singles so far, the monumental instrumentals of Prelude sound more like settling into Lawrence of Arabia or some 1950s David Lean project. Sinister and creative flourishes on Burn Alive set a very high standard and maintain it there. A little flutter of synth and one of eleven examples within of the group’s lyrical drive.
Striking explosions of love, unrequited or reciprocated, on Portrait, marks one of many deep album cuts which shed light on the attitude and presentation The Last Dinner Party provides. Vocalist Abigail Morris has the acerbic style necessary to deliver the brutal punches of emotive grandeur found within the likes of Beautiful Boy and third single My Lady of Mercy. Guitarist Emily Roberts shines throughout – each track is dependent on and benefits from her confident approach to riffs and solos adjacent to the vocal collections, the rise and rise of Portrait is a clear example of this, but so too is Sinner and On Your Side. Roberts controls the pace and the rest of the band, each providing a performance stuffed full of innovative desire, find spots to engage this truly elevated material. Nothing Matters, the track to light the spark, sounds even better with the context preceding it.
The Last Dinner Party here proves themselves as a once-in-a-generation artist. They are performing now like nobody else. It will likely remain that way. Some artists provide a unique shock to your system, unexplainable and fitting into place as though it were a comfortable, returning friend. Prelude to Ecstasy has such a gifted and raw power to it, perfectly captured by closer Mirror. “This is the only thing I know how to do,” Morris, sternly addresses her audience with all the conviction necessary for a lead singer channelling the alt-rock shockwaves, draped in that crooked folk-like imagery. Key to all of this is The Last Dinner Party, for as out-there and showy as their work is, feel genuine the whole way through this storming debut. It does not get better than this.
