The Last Dinner Party - Prelude to Ecstasy ALBUM REVIEW 

This album was one of the most fun first listens I’ve had in a long time and it holds up so well on returns. Such a great record.

I’m sorry, but the transition from Gjuha to Sinner was orgasmic.

Missed opportunity to say Beautiful Boytano at the beginning

I've seen a ton of people calling The Last Dinner Party "industry plants". Let's just say if they're industry plants, the industry needs to plant more of them. There's so much more to these songs than 99% of pop music today.

Anthony you can’t just give them a 0 because you weren’t invited to their dinner party

Good review but I can’t believe Gjuha didn’t connect with you. One of the more sonically interesting moments on the record.

This album moved me, so beautiful and powerful and grand. This is one of my favourite albums in a long time. Glorious

Absolutely love this album. The band's music feels so necessary at this time period and the fact that it's their first album enhances the experience for me. I hope they continue to grow and gain more fortune in the years to come. At this point they deserve all the attention and then some.

Saw them live when they opened for Hozier, had never heard of them before but their energy was infectious! And the songs were so good

I listened to this the minute it came out because I couldn't sleep and I was really surprised that people were so mad at something so good before it even came out lol. Say what you want about how "genuine" their rise is, just the lyrics are good enough for this album to be worth at least a listen.

Fun fact: Abigail Morris (the lead singer from TLDP) dates Henry Spychalski (lead singer from HMLTD) and she sang onstage with him a few times. She's also the female voice you hear throughout all of The Worm.

So happy you liked this one, pretty confident this will be on my best list at the end of the year

This is one of those time when Anthony introduces me to great music I connect with I didn't know about before!

It's been a hot minute since a full album has me hooked. I'm obsessed with this record and I'm excited to see them live on their tour!

So glad to see you cover this album. Definitely my favourite album I've heard in a long time

nice to see this get a yellow flannel, they killed it on the Graham Norton Show recently, can't wait to see what's in store for them next

They took advantage of lockdown during COVID to nail down their sound and direction and have been touring like crazy since then. Their tour schedule is insane - this is well earned and deserved. Love the album, excited to see what’s next.

Great to see them do so well! They were extremely cool when I met them at a record signing, I hadn't been following them too closely and only really knew that they were supporting Hozier and my sister loved their music enough to send me to get their album signed while she was working. It was uncomfortable telling them I was there to get it signed for someone else and I talked about The Front Bottoms who I was seeing that night and cracked a bad joke about their music that they politely laughed at/didn't understand bc I have a Scottish accent (something about tremolos) and then rushed out so quickly I forgot to get a picture with them. They were all extremely welcoming and talkative to everyone there though and I'm definitely rooting for them. Happy to see them doing so well.

This is why Anthony is one of my favourite reviewers... so well spoken & good at getting his point across

nobody is talking about how articulate this review is. good stuff

I love this band so much, and the album is everything I needed from them.

there's something super classy about the production on this, feels familiar and modern yet timeless

Gjuha reminds me a lot of Dead Can Dance with Aion, I cant belived that my generation (1998-1999) started to release the new music

Loving this album, just behind Future Islands for my album of the year! Genuinely hard to believe this is a band’s debut album, it’s so accomplished and distinctive

Really impressive album. I'm sure even bigger things are on the horizon. Nice seeing a band from the South London, mainly The Windmill making it big! Annoyingly I had a free ticket to go and check them out at a showcase they were doing down in Brighton before they had released any music but got held up at work and couldn't go. Doesn't look like I'll be catching them anywhere smaller than academy's anytime soon

I've been afraid of this review because I've been pretty keen on The Last Dinner Party since the end of last year and the album absolutely met my personal hype. That said, I'm never sure how a hyped band like this will be received by the critical and music nerd crowd. And when I love an album, I don't want my enjoyment brought down by a bad review (I used to like Olivia Rodrigo's song "vampire" until Todd in the Shadow's takedown of it; I don't hate the song the way he does, but I now think about it every time I listen to GUTS). So I'm pleased that Fantano likes this one. And like him, I think this could be a year-end contender for me.

Love this group. I am looking forward to seeing them live and see their progress.

This album came up on my Spotify and I have never heard of them but they had over 3m listeners before their debut even launched, which had me curious on what I had missed. Thank u for cluing me in, Melon.

Quite the pleasant surprise to see a band whose song is super popular on AltNation get an 8 on their debut. I feel like most artists in that realm either fly under the melon’s radar or are met with lukewarm/negative reception

James Ford is one of the most underrated producers out there, and I think this record proves it

I heard "The Feminine Urge" in a store and thought it was Florence and the Machine and I was hooked.

The first RU-vid critic I've seen to not come at this album with a weirdly cynical lense

I just discovered them a few weeks ago and I've had so much fun listening to them. Sinner is one of my favorites

My Lady of Mercy is an absolute tune.

hazaa! between the catch AF first single from the album AND a Fantanotastico review...instant purchase. Thanks bruv!

Gjuha to Sinner made me audibly gasp

Great first Album look forward to seeing what they do next.

If Siousxie or Kate Bush fronted an album by Sparks, this is how it would sound.

0:00 good music with them vocals the video is a masterpiece already

The best indie pop album I've heard in a long time. The songwriting is fantastic, it's incredibly dynamic and feels completely natural. There was clearly a ton of time put into making an album, rather than a collection of songs, but also, it's great just as a collection of songs. I honestly only liked Nothing Matters out of the 4 singles I heard, but on my first listen to the album, I liked every song. Super rare for that to happen to me, and it's only been growing. Behind the songwriting, there's a ton of stuff that's super cool sonically. The outro to "On Your Side" sticks out as particularly prog. "Gjuha" is great too. It's just a nice lil pallete clenser, but how often do you hear mandolin on a pop album? I also heard a lot of "This Is Why" by Paramore in the album. I don't know if it's just because I listened to it a ton like a month ago, but the themes of toxic masculinity stuck out clear as day, and a lot of the guitar parts sound like the post-punky guitar parts on "This Is Why" (particularly on Burn Alive imo).There's also a lot to dig into lyrically. I'm not really a lyrics guy, but even I caught how much of the album was talking about gender roles (on like the 4th listen lol). At the start of the video, Anthony listed a bunch of artists that I've never listened to, and at some point he said the album had a few spots that were derivative. That's a fair critique, but since I haven't listened to their influences, it's not as issue for me. I agree that they have room to grow, especially since they can expand on some of the sounds they experimented with on this album.

this record is actually fantastic such a fun listen but has its sadder moments as well the production and writing is just so good and it feels so theatrical the fact that it’s a debut album is true insanity 10/10 imo

mirror is actually probably my favourite on the Album.

The Smile and this promising so-called "industry plant' group just gotten a Strong 8 from Fantano alongside Future Island, 2024 has started pretty strongly so far😤👌

Saw them play at Johnny Brenda’s in Philly, which is a small and intimate venue. It was a great show.

Been listening to this album so much. It's so good.

Yorkshire post punk band Yard Act have a new album coming out at the start of next mont, definitely a good time to jump on the yard act train

Now I'm hoping that they pull a Black Midi and slam on the gas and release two more increasingly better albums in short succession. Because I need more of this in my life.

More pop, but their sound and aesthetic remind me a lot of HMLTD, except their music is as fun as Wet Leg (not same sounds, but energy, also UK origins and hype comparison is very obvious). Extremely fun album, they’ve really nailed the sound and the album feels very well thought out for a debut.

This album is so good and definitely deserves the praise and strong 8

I was called crazy for thinking this album sounded ABBAish, glad to hear I'm slightly less crazy 😂

I really liked the album but I wish it went a little further on the non-singles. I felt it lacked a moment that really kicked me on my ass made me say "holy shit." Really enjoyable album though, already been spinning it a couple times over the last few days.

The transition from gjuha (tounge) to sinner was great

Saw this band open for Hozier in december. First time I actually remembered an opening act's name and what their songs were like.

I’m so excited to see them live

My local radio (nyc) and Sirius have been playing their singles for several months. Didnt realize the album finally came out!

Gjuha being least favorite is actually evil, that song is so full of emotion and beautiful

I didn't expect you'd love it, but well-deserved score! It sounds like BCNR instrumentation with Marina-esque vocals, for a lack of better words.

Saw them at Lolla yesterday and had to give the album a listen today. Definitely copping the LP

Finally listened to it and haven't stopped looping. The drama and opulence of some of the instrumentals on this album is the stuff I wanted from early Lana Del Rey and just didn't get.

Now it's time for the first breakfast party

As much as I love the album, their style and sound...I can't get over the fact the singer looks like Rachel Weisz.

I like playing a guessing game of predicting where Melon will be scratching after the next edit.

Really wish the production was not so contemporary. Hearing live versions with just the girls playing is more interesting

nice review, anthony!

STRONG 8 LETS FUCKING GOOOO

Incredible album still in my rotation

This year's off to such a great start!

Got amanda palmer/dresden dolls influences too

Saw a live show on RU-vid back in Nov 2022, and immediately sent it to all my friends saying these guys are up next. One of the most obvious observations I’ve ever made, they have just an unparalleled hold on structure and pop appeal without sacrificing an ounce of personality or uniqueness, the most impressive show of talent this early we’ve seen since black midi and bcnr were getting started

Time for yet another review (this is the last one for a while I swear Anthony) As the first album I heard from this year, Prelude To Ecstasy was one word… ASTONISHING. I have never been blown away so fiercely by a band of this caliber since Boygenius and man, dare I say it this album may very well be slightly better than The Record. Everything from the obvious Queen and Marina Diamandis inspired vocal delivery and production points down to the lyricism and harmony between the band members, For the first time this year I have had the absolute blast listening to a record such as this. I have had it on repeat nonstop and I just have to give props where props should be given. Burn Alive, Caesar On A TV Screen, Sinner, Nothing Matters, and Mirror are all going to be in my favorite songs playlist for this year. I will say my only real issue with the record is that, being a full female lead band, it can be a bit hard to truly relate to the lyrics but that has allowed me the time to analyze and understand them from the perspective of a queer lens. I know I’m easy to please but I just have to say it again: WHY ARE SO MANY DEBUT ALBUMS RECENTLY THIS GOOD? I have to know the reason. Because this is the type of debut album I wish EVERY artist could have. Impactful without being too serious and Fun without being overtly annoying or overwhelming. Just an absolute banger and I cannot wait for the future of this band. They are only getting started. My Rating: 9.5/10

Oh my god Anthony reviewed the last dinner party

Should be a 10

I saw them live in NYC and they put on a PHENOMENAL show. Their guitarist is sooo talented and the lead singer has amazing stage presence and knows how to put on a show

This album is so good and definitely deserves the praise and 8 👏👏

cutethony pogtano with another incredible op-ed piece on this fine wednesday, today starring the last supper (modernized)

HOLY JESUS, HE HAS THE YELLOW FLANNEL, THIS IS NOT A SIMULACRUM, I REPEAT: THIS IS NOT A SIMULACRUM!!

ITS SUCH A GOOD ALBUM

Nothing matters appeared in my RU-vid recs when it came out and I enjoyed it, but I haven’t listened to the full album! This is a sign to do so!

Reminds me of good ol' Ladyhawke... strong songs and performances on this debut.

Good review, I agree 100% Very musical, but smart lyrics. WOW!

Today is the 30th anniversary of the greatest album ever to be recorded. Troublegum by Therpay? Please please please review this. Your life will change forever, thanks.

I thought the writing was interesting and groovy, cool blend of modern pop with baroque style, but the mix doesn't land with me at all. The performance sounds so half-assed and dry, and I don't think that's the band's doing. It has a distinct lack of sizzle.

This dinner party sounds interesting. I bet they had Jobe Mark II.

Fantastic debut, surely to become a Classic!!

This album is good fun. They are all drama. Love it.

Was so looking forward to this album! Love the band

Just saw them in Austin and they were so good.

Saw these girls last year at a festival and they were just electric, highly recommend! I'm glad they're finding the success they deserve :D

I agree

Their late night performances have been phenomenal. Interested in catching them on tour. Hoping they’re small enough still to have cheap tix.

So glad these guys got the first Yellow Flannel of the year!!! Their best project to date imo.

One of 2024's finest surprises First few listens really leaves a strong impression

Thought he was going to give it at least a 9 considering he said almost nothing bad about it until the end and gushed about the album the entire time haha.

I was expecting Fantano to not like this one because I liked it a lot.

This is a great listen. A Geese like, girl group ascent instead. Their influences are onviously there, but they morph it into something new. I've heard they are awesome live, and I mighy have to take that chance.

Why do they kind of make me think of the cure? And why does no one else seem to mention that?

bass on nothing matters sounds like metronomy

I’ve really enjoyed this album since it came out. The singer, Abigail Morris, has a voice very similar to the singer of the Swedish band Sahara Hotnights. They (Sahara Hotnights) also used a lot of the same type of harmonies and big sound. Like Anthony said in the video it’s all very familiar.

Just discovered them, thanks!

Banger album