2024 Brits Rising Stars, The Last Dinner Party, i mpress with their alt-indie debut album.
Release Date: 2nd February 2024
Label: Island Records (UMG)
Format: CD / Vinyl / Cassette / Digital
Following their win of the Brits Rising Star Award 2024, British indie rock band The Last Dinner Party have released their highly anticipated debut album Prelude to Ecstasy. They have also just completed their February Record Store Tour in the UK, visiting different record stores around the country for a multitude of signings and intimate performances to promote their debut album. The band also had one of our favourites; Frankie Archer; playing support at their recent Roundhouse show.
Prelude To Ecstasy starts strong with the title track. It is a powerful instrumental number that makes use of a multitude of instruments to welcome us into this incredible record. The lack of lyrics gives the listener a feel of the album before we’re even introduced to the story, and it leaves you wanting more.
The album’s lead single, Nothing Matters was released in early 2023 and is also the band’s debut single. With its alt-rock feel, risqué lyrics and swelling bridge, this is the perfect track to showcase the band’s talent and virtuosity.
A personal favourite from the record, On Your Side is an emotional ballad that captures the feeling of intense devotion to someone no matter what, even when you know it isn’t good for you. The lyrics “This blood on my face where your teeth sunk in…” depict the partner as a vampire, draining the speaker’s blood for their own benefit. Even so, the speaker almost begs for them to “bite me again” which suggests the toxicity of the relationship as they still want more and more from a relationship that is hurting them.
Prelude To Ecstasy closes with the eerie, metaphorical track Mirror which portrays the speaker as not knowing who they are, someone who feels as though they “…don’t exist without your gaze.” This could be a nod to how being in the spotlight has a significant effect on artists’ mental health and self-image.
The band has lots of plans for this year, as they are about to embark on their US tour starting in March 2024, and they will be making appearances at several festivals in the summer, including Coachella in California and TRNSMT in Glasgow. They have also recently announced their UK, Europe and US tour beginning in late 2024! I think we can expect to be hearing about The Last Dinner Party for a long time to come…
Check out My Lady Of Mercy from The Last Dinner Party below:
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