Titled Prelude to Ecstasy, the first album by The Last Dinner Party propels us into the whimsical universe of the British quintet, blending elements of David Bowie, Kate Bush, George Gershwin, and Joan Jett. Their theatrical songs with explicit lyrics have already charmed Nick Cave and the Rolling Stones. Clearly the best rock group of the moment, seeing them live in concert in Paris on Tuesday, February 20, 2024 is a must.
Prelude to Ecstasy, the first album by The Last Dinner Party, is set to be released on February 2nd. A record that begins with a prelude can only be a good record, right? The elegantly titled first album by The Last Dinner Party, Prelude to Ecstasy, indeed features a prelude. An introductory instrumental piece that sets the stage for their whimsical – even somewhat magical – universe where baroque pop meets welcome glam rock and anachronistic Victorian dresses. Both elegant and disheveled, the five girls who make up The Last Dinner Party clearly aim for magnificent debauchery. Bells, harps, flutes, brass, and strings. Elegant insolence.
In their theatrical songs with explicit yet never obscene lyrics, one can detect a certain affinity for classical music and post-grunge. Make no mistake, there’s a bit of Bowie in this young quintet. Some Kate Bush as well. A pinch of Joan Jett, some jazz flights à la George Gershwin, and, why not, a little of Sofia Coppola’s Marie-Antoinette. Available since February 2, 2024, Prelude to Ecstasy will appeal to both chamber pop enthusiasts and film buffs. This first opus is an irregular gem that reveals virtuoso and exuberant compositions where contrast holds a prime place. An invitation to the intoxication of celebration and pleasures of all kinds.
“How would you describe your music to a 10-year-old?”
“A pop rock experience, does that suit you?”
“I find that a bit vague…”
“Then freedom! No rules or structures to hinder us. We play, we explore, we do theater, and let all our emotions escape. Anger must be written as soon as you feel it.”
“The press also mentions ‘art rock’ to describe your music.”
“We have always loved baroque pop. I think the first time we heard this term, it was to describe the first two albums by Marina and the Diamonds. This kind of music characterizes theatrical and archaic sensibilities associated with a pop rock structure. Songs that integrate almost classical instrumental sequences. Anyway, rock always implies a sort of playfulness… That’s what we do because that’s what we love.”
The Dinner Party becomes… The Last Dinner Party
Abigail Morris, Georgia Davies, Lizzie Mayland, Aurora Nishevci, and Emily Roberts met in college. Some of them have a classical music background, while others are self-taught. They spent a long time in the bustling district of Brixton in London before forming The Dinner Party, which evokes both Marco Ferreri’s La Grande Bouffe (1973) and a scandalous banquet of ancient Rome. However, in July 2020, American saxophonist Kamasi Washington had already formed The Dinner Party, a “supergroup” that includes pianist Robert Glasper and composers 9th Wonder and Terrace Martin – one of the architects of Kendrick Lamar’s masterpiece To Pimp A Butterfly. Therefore, The Dinner Party must become The Last Dinner Party.
Almost eight months ago, the quintet was discovered thanks to the song “Nothing Matters.” The tone was set. The Last Dinner Party will certainly be the most important group of the coming decade. Yet, the girls had chosen the song “Burn Alive” as their calling card. But “Nothing Matters” turned out to be a “very powerful song with an ecstatic and maximalist approach to music.”
“What makes your music different from others?”
“Sometimes it intentionally resembles that of others, you know. We start writing something and suddenly, one of us exclaims, ‘Oh, I discovered this song the other day. Let’s incorporate this or that into our piece.’ Our music then becomes a kind of collage without being a copy.”
A group that has already charmed the greatest artists
The press is not sparing in superlatives to describe The Last Dinner Party. They talk about a group that is “sensational” across the Channel and will soon fill venues in France as well. Especially since they have just won the BBC Sound of… 2024, an award given every year by music critics and industry bigwigs to celebrate the most talented emerging artist of the moment. The group prevails, surpassing Olivia Dean, Peggy Gou, and Tyla. By doing so, they are in the footsteps of previous winners such as 50 Cent (2003), Keane (2004), Corinne Bailey Rae (2006), and Adele (2008).
The girls are talented, very talented. They know exactly where they’re going – quoting both Ken Russell’s cinema and Gregg Araki’s – and are very well surrounded as well. Notably by one of Metallica’s managers, and for the production of their debut record, by James Ellis Ford, a close collaborator of Gorillaz and the Arctic Monkeys. As a result, these girls, nostalgic for an era they didn’t experience, find themselves opening for Nick Cave, Florence + The Machine, and then the Rolling Stones… This led to an improbable controversy on social media: accusing the group of being a creation by a label, made up of “rich kids.” Some have just discovered the principle of the music industry in 2023. Others simply say nonsense on social media. In any case, the controversy didn’t go any further.
Prelude to Ecstasy (2024) by The Last Dinner Party, available now. In concert on February 20 at La Maroquinerie in Paris..
