Few debut albums carry this much excitement with them. The Last Dinner Party has seemingly done everything a young band could hope for, major co-signs, playlist placements, and the attention of just about every blog. The last thing on their youthful band’s to-do list? Release music to back up the hype. Normally, we would see the pressures overtake a band’s creativity. We have seen artists with unlimited potential crumble from this amount of stress and eyes watching them. Thankfully, The Last Dinner Party is not one of those bands. That pressure fueled Prelude to Ecstasy, the band’s first proper studio release. Boasting 12 tracks that embrace the lofty concepts they’re built upon, The Last Dinner Party created a statement piece of a debut that backs up every last word of praise thrown at them over the past year and some change.
Much like a gothic cathedral being built, the band structures these songs with grandeur in their mind. Prelude to Ecstasy is brimming with jangly guitar pop-rock that is so unique in its approach that it’s almost shocking no other band has concocted a sound this crisp and bold in the genre’s long history. The album feels positive but not from uplifting lyrics or bright tones. Rather, the freeing nirvana entered when someone is honest with themselves and the world around them gives these songs a joyous feel. The band holds back no punches, using unpredictable song structure and natural chemistry to pen some insanely impressive rock and roll that flips the modern takes of the genre on their heads.
Deeply danceable grooves, soulful guitar rock, and powerful balladry are just some of the things you can expect from The Last Dinner Party’s infectious debut. The band threw caution to the wind and made an album that is undeniably them, risky business for a debut with so many eyes on it but all good art has risk at its core. The album kicks off with a cinematic instrumental piece and the orchestral approach doesn’t end there. The band seemingly scoffs at simplicity and opts for a sound that encompasses as many emotions and landscapes as explored in their lyrics. “Portrait of a Dead Girl” is a gothic ballad with stirring lyrics and emotional melodies that sound brand new no matter how many times you press play. The single “Caesar on a TV Screen” is a more syncopated addition to the tracklist as moody moments explode with a funky flair.
Prelude to Ecstasy is a cinematic debut that encompasses every reason why The Last Dinner Party is one of the most exciting young bands in any genre. Their approach to their art is pure and blissful, two similar emotions even the coldest newcomer will experience while listening through this stellar debut. By ignoring all of the praise thrown their way, The Last Dinner Party was able to craft an LP that combines their wide range of influences and filters them through their own artistic lens. This birthed an album that both rocks hard and emphasizes what pop song structures can become when placed in the right hands. We will all remember where we were when we first heard Prelude to Ecstasy, an album that is seemingly just the start for an innovative and daring young act.
