Prelude to Ecstasy

by The Last Dinner Party

Overview

The debut long-player from the London baroque pop provocateurs, Prelude to Ecstasy combines the sweeping, Brontë-esque indie rock of Florence + the Machine and the come-hither decadence of Suede with the winking pop acumen of Sparks and Wet Leg. The group's swift ascension to rock royalty -- they nabbed an opening slot for the Rolling Stones in Hyde Park without releasing a single yet -- was met with knee-jerk accusations of nepotism and industry chicanery, charges that the group rebuked by being really f*cking good. 2023's "Nothing Matters," a lusty, festival-ready anthem that comes off like Anna Calvi-fronting ABBA, stormed the U.K. charts and set a bold precedent. The arrivals of "Sinner" and "My Lady of Mercy" answered the call, with the former channeling Roxy Music and Bowie -- check out the gnarly, Carlos Alomar-inspired guitar work from Emily Roberts -- and the latter pairing Abigail Morris' Russell Mael lilt and syllabic gymnastics with the operatic splendor of Miranda Sex Garden. The remainder of Prelude to Ecstasy draws from all those influences, delivering a remarkably assured set of bold-faced indie rock and maximalist goth pop teaming with earworm melodies, intelligent, darkly romantic lyrics, and thespian bluster. ~ James Christopher Monger

Product Details

Release Date:	02/02/2024
Label:	Island
UPC:	0602458519105
Rank:	294

Tracks

1. Prelude to Ecstasy
2. Burn Alive
3. Caesar on a TV Screen
4. The Feminine Urge
5. On Your Side
6. Beautiful Boy
7. Gjuha
8. Sinner
9. My Lady of Mercy
10. Portrait of a Dead Girl
11. Nothing Matters
12. Mirror

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Last Dinner Party   Primary Artist
Freya Goldmark   Violin
Rebekah Rayner   Drums
Philip Howarth   Oboe
Rocio Bolanos   Clarinet
Lucy Humphris   Trumpet
Alex Marshall   Cello
Alistair Goodwin   Trombone (Bass)
Aurora Nishevci   Organ,Piano,Vocals,Conductor,Synthesizer
Emily Roberts   Flute,Guitar,Vocals,Mandolin
Paloma Deike   Violin
Lucy Wilkins   Violin
Georgia Davis   Piano
Chris Brewster   Trombone
James Ford   Drums
Serafina Steer   Harp
Philip Howard   Oboe
Emma Smith   Violin
Rosie Tompsett   Violin
Phil Granell   Violin
Abigail Morris   Vocals
Bradley Jones   Trumpet
Pasha Mansurov   Flute
Jenny Ames   Viola
Ashley Myall   Bassoon
Richard Jones   Viola
Sam Becker   Double Bass
Zami Jalil   Viola
Midori Jaeger   Cello
Elsa Bradley   Timpani,Tubular Bells
Georgia Davies   Vocals,Guitar (Bass)
Lizzie Mayland   Flute,Guitar,Vocals
Robyn Blair   French Horn
Aleksandra Masurova   Violin
Chihiro Ono   Violin

Technical Credits

Cal McIntyre   Photography
Stefan Tenner   Cut
Rhys Downing   Composer
Emily Roberts   Composer,Group Member
Chris Gehringer   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Jimmy Robertson   Engineer
Emily Robertson   Composer
Alan Moulder   Mixing
James Ford   Producer
Joshua Mitchell   Design,Art Direction
Abigail Morris   Composer,Group Member
Alex Joseph   Design
Aurora Nishevci   Score,Arranger,Composer,Group Member
Georgia Davies   Composer,Group Member
Lizzie Mayland   Composer,Group Member