The British indie rock band The Last Dinner Party became famous for their extravagant aesthetic, poetic lyricism and theatrical performances. Lundagards Smilla Sundén Pettersson has reviewed their sophomore album.
In 2021 whispers of a new shooting star on the indie scene started to emerge. The Last Dinner Party quickly rose to fame and opened for the likes of Hozier before even releasing their first album. Rumours circulated about the band being an industry plant and their success was attributed to nepotism by many. Despite this, the quality of their music was undeniable when the debut album Prelude to Ecstasy was finally released.
The band’s second album From the Pyre continues the tradition of extravagance, poetic lyrics, and themes of the beautiful and macabre. Blending powerful orchestral music and lyrics inspired by history and religion alike; the new album is as unapologetically extravagant as the first.
The first track, ”Agnus Dei” (sacrificial lamb in Latin), sets the mood for the rest of the record with religious overtones and the bittersweet feeling it elicits. Practically all the remaining tracks on the album continue in the same dramatic vein, often referencing violence, Christianity and the inherent romanticism of sacrifice. The repeating imagery could have easily resulted in a boring album, but instead it feels thought out and coherent.
In addition to the poetic lyrics, frontwoman Abigail Morris really gets a chance to shine on the record. Her impressive and expressive vocals, paired with a grandiose demonstration in instrumental talent by the rest of the band, result in a musical explosion somewhere between baroque and rock.
Both in terms of vocals, instrumental performance and energy the strongest part of the album is ”This is the Killer Speaking”, first released as a single earlier this year. The track frequently switches both tempo and mood, narrated by a scorned and vengeful lover. With somewhat violent lyrics and a dramatic sound the track continues the band’s over-the-top and powerful aesthetic that began with older releases such as ”Caesar on a TV-screen”.
Unfortunately, not all tracks are as memorable. Even though both Morris and pianist/keyboardist Aurora Nishevci are skilful musicians, slower songs such as ”Sail Away” and ”Rifle” come off as bland in comparison to the more dramatic ones.
The themes all come to a head in the last track on the album, appropriately named ”Inferno”. Backed by a surprisingly upbeat piano and with lines such as I’m Jesus Christ/I’m swinging in a gallery in France/I’m the guillotine/I’m terrified the song is an appropriate summary of what the album is about: the dramatic and terrible. Nepobabies or not, The Last Dinner Party continues to dazzle with their expressive and sensational music.
