Photo by Cal McIntyre
No band has had as much hype this past year as The Last Dinner Party. Having gained a dedicated and zealous fan base almost entirely through live gigs in London, and eventually beyond, Prelude to Ecstasy, TLDP’s debut album, has been longed for by those dying for recorded music. While the extensive anticipation and buzz surrounding the release could have easily been the album’s undoing, Prelude to Ecstasy doesn’t just meet the sky-high expectations of fans but exceeds them with a cohesive, but never boring, album.
There is truly never a dull moment on Prelude to Ecstasy. Draping itself in sonic theatrics, the album leans into a carefully manufactured drama without being disingenuous or overly gimmicky. Changing tone several times, often within the same song, TLDP manages to keep you interested without ever being distractingly disjointed. In some ways it feels like having a conversation with your best friend: nobody can stay on topic and yet the message comes across clearly.
This ability to create a larger than life project while maintaining a sense of intimacy is the greatest strength of Prelude to Ecstasy. Following the cinematic instrumental opener “Prelude to Ecstasy”, is “Burn Alive”, with all the theatrics and emotional torment you could expect from a TLDP song. Soaked in desperation and teetering on Baroque grandeur, “Burn Alive” chronicles a willingness to let the person you love destroy you, and manifests in a song that could easily soundtrack a dramatic rage sequence. While differing in style, another defining track from the album is “The Feminine Urge”, providing a refuge from the heavier tone of the first few songs. Putting the full power of Abigail Morris’ voice on display, the heavy drums backdrop this 80s sounding ode to womanhood. Under the taunting facade of “The Feminine Urge” lies a message about the complexities of gender and control. This is quickly followed by the much more stripped back “On Your Side”. Despite the less dramatic sound, TLDP never fails to deliver when it comes to emotional intensity. “On Your Side” is still a powerful ballad, depicting complete devotion to a partner who takes and takes without giving back.“Sinner” is the anchor for the back half of the album. The beat is clear, punctuating the song and adding a sense of levity. Groovy guitar and gospel adjacent backing vocals carry the song through to the end. Religious imagery and all, “Sinner” is, above all else, a fun song. The album closes out with “Mirror”, a lowkey song meant to be played in a dark room and captured on grainy film. Despite the intensity of Prelude to Ecstasy as a whole, it ends with relatively understated control. Here, the final lyrics of the album ring out with the repetition of the phrase “I fade away”, before turning to an instrumental outro, seemingly disconnected from the rest of the song. Though “Prelude to Ecstasy” may be the introduction to The Last Dinner Party, “Mirror” is certainly no finale, even if it is the end of this album.