The Last Dinner Party were formed in 2021 in the midst of the Covid lockdown. They exploded onto the indie/pop scene in April 2023 reaching no. 19 in the UK pop charts with the single, Nothing Matters. Their debut album, Prelude to Ecstasy, was released on 2nd February 2024, and it’s a corker.
As a rule, Crotchety Man doesn’t like pop chart songs, especially by girl bands, but this 5-piece, all female band from London is a glaring exception. Why? Because they are wholly original, and their songs have a maturity that normally comes from years on the road. They have the confidence and enthusiasm of youthfulness on their side, too.
“indie’s buzziest band”
The Guide #85 in The Guardian
As a pop band in the 2020s, you’d have to be supremely confident to open your debut album with a dramatic orchestral piece and finish with an orchestral coda. Which is exactly what The Last Dinner Party do. In spite of its title, the first track of the album isn’t a prelude for what is to come; it’s a wake-up call that urges the listener to expect the unexpected. And the rest of the album delivers deliciously on that promise.
Most of the 12 tracks fall into the art rock bin in your favourite music shop – sophisticated singer/songwriter material with embellishments borrowed from multiple compass points across the musical map. Think Kate Bush and Queen. But, in amongst them, we find a short song expressing regret about not knowing your mother tongue – sung in Albanian – and a ballad that explores what it means to be female and non-binary.
When it’s 4 a.m. and your heart is breakin’
From track 5, “On Your Side”
I will hold your hands to stop them from shakin’
. . . . .
The Last Dinner Party have found much praise from across the music industry. So much so that some of those looking on have questioned their authenticity. But there’s nothing manufactured about this band. Listening to Prelude to Ecstasy will convince you of that, I promise.
Crotchety Man 