The Last Dinner Party opened their debut album Prelude to Ecstasy with a track of the same name, a minute-and-a-half classical introduction backed by strings and horns. For that record, the band discussed how they “summoned an orchestra” to achieve theatricality and extravagance.
But, from the moment ‘Agnus Dei’ kicks in at the beginning of Prelude to Ecstasy‘s successor, it’s clear that the orchestra are out of sight and sound this time around. That isn’t to say that From The Pyre lacks in theatricality, however: It’s just been twisted into something darker and bolder, but still markedly The Last Dinner Party.
‘Agnus Dei’ combines swinging instrumentation with tough questions, seeing frontwoman Abigail Morris ask a lover “Am I enough to make you stay?”. Portending the remainder of From The Pyre, Morris also pronounces “Here comes the apocalypse, and I can’t get enough of it”, before the first of many harmonies kicks in. A guitar solo courtesy of Emily Roberts closes the song and takes the track from a pensive but fun-filled exploration of a love affair to one of the best album openers of recent years.
‘Count The Ways’ continues these themes and the sharp, angular guitar that imbues the album as a whole and causes it to be significantly darker than its predecessor.
Centring around the feelings of anger that stem from betrayal, ‘Second Best’ has been a staple within the band’s live set for a while now, and it’s easy to see why it quickly became a fan favourite. The song has been a continuously evolving project, and it’s a testament to The Last Dinner Party’s power and prowess that the recorded version sounds even better than its previous live versions. The song is multi-faceted and strikingly sprawling, featuring a multitude of vocal and instrumental components that meld together to form a hard-hitting, attention-grabbing track which becomes more stimulating with each listen.
The album’s first single follows: with a noticeable country inflection and hints of western tropes, ‘This is the Killer Speaking’ tells a tale of doomed love through lyrics that could class as high poetry. Its musical suspense bursts into cacophony and crescendo as Morris exclaims “Hope my television appearance drives you fucking mad”: A line delivered with a wink and a nod during recently broadcasted performances such as Later… with Jools Holland.
‘Rifle’ features guitarist Lizzie Mayland on vocals, and initially sounds more subdued than the previous four tracks. As it grinds into action with brooding menace, it cements the fact that The Last Dinner Party waste not one moment on From The Pyre, taking listeners on a journey of ever-changing emotion and instrumentation. The relentless thrashing of guitar and drums that accompany the chorus of ‘Rifle’ will undoubtedly provide a highlight live — akin to the invigorating effect of Prelude to Ecstasy‘s ‘My Lady of Mercy’ — while the portion of the track’s harmonies that are sang in French aptly contribute to the band’s flawlessly constructed theatricality.
Existing within a world of folklore, ‘Woman is a Tree’ sounds fantastical and medieval, proving that it is The Last Dinner Party’s ability to construct whole universes through music that makes them so great. The song’s ambiance is aided by Morris’ signature operatic vocals, alongside From The Pyre’s frequently recurring and increasingly magical harmonies.
‘I Hold Your Anger’ introduces another new voice: Aurora Nishevci, the band’s keyboardist who previously took on vocal duties for Prelude to Ecstasy interlude ‘Gjuha’. The song is a perfect example of how From the Pyre allows each of the band’s five members to shine; each member takes various moments in the spotlight and exhibits their own outstanding talents.
‘Sail Away’ is a gorgeous, tear-jerker of a track, telling the tale of a relationship’s end and displaying The Last Dinner Party’s ability to write heart-wrenchingly emotive lyrics. If ‘Rifle’ was From The Pyre’s answer to ‘My Lady of Mercy’, ‘Sail Away’ is its answer to ‘On Your Side’, displaying similarly devastating lyrics and piano-backed melody. The track sees Morris yearn for isolation and independence at the end of a relationship: “if I could find a way to wipe out every day, I didn’t spend a second in your bed, and I would take my ship, have no one else on it, and sail away”.
Following ‘Sail Away’ is ‘The Scythe’, which is easily one of the best and most devastating songs in the band’s discography, exploring themes of death, grief, and acceptance. ‘The Sycthe’ features every component of a great The Last Dinner Party track: operatic vocals that see Morris reach deep lows and extraordinary highs; a chorus that is at once anthemic, euphoric, and solemn; and a killer guitar solo from Emily Roberts. It’s a song that truly makes itself felt, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to claim it as one of the most exceptional pieces of music released this decade.
‘Inferno’ provides a late highlight, closing the album with Morris stating “Lord, I’m trying”. Combining mentions of Jesus Christ with references to The Real Housewives, the song is perhaps the most light-hearted of From The Pyre’s track-list on the surface, featuring Nishevci’s jangling keyboard and a guitar riff that offers a distinct danceability to its instrumentation. However, as the lyric “Drink in the dust of the inferno” warps into the conclusion that “I’m nothing but a shell, nothing but dust in an inferno”, the album ends with a note of contemplation, pessimism, and existentialism.
Nobody expected The Last Dinner Party to return with a new album so quickly, but the band have entirely evaded the difficult second album trope despite From The Pyre arriving only twenty months after Prelude to Ecstasy.
Their new record is cohesive but genre-bending, slightly gloomy but invigorating nonetheless, and a real treat to listen to. Through ten undeniably stunning tracks, The Last Dinner Party have once again cemented themselves as one of the UK’s best bands, and it’s clear to see that all five members are uniquely gifted talents that shouldn’t be allowed to pass by unnoticed.
