The Last Dinner Party : From the Pyre
The Last Dinner Party never let up on theatricality. Through their flamboyant art direction, their melodies soar and fuse to convey enthralling moods, with lyrics wrapped in bliss and heartache. That they opt not to tone it down makes The Last Dinner Party one of the more thrilling bands in rock of the moment, a quality they carry on into their sophomore album, From the Pyre.
The British rock group—comprising vocalist Abigail Morris, guitarist Lizzie Mayland, bassist Georgia Davies, guitarist Emily Roberts, and pianist Aurora Nishevci—received critical praise for their debut album, 2024’s Prelude to Ecstasy. The band’s performances on that album are vibrant displays of baroque pop, their instrumentation swelling with nigh-orchestral grandeur, aided by outside contributions of drums, violin, cello and trombone.
On From the Pyre, they turn toward character-driven narratives centered around relationships and various life events, employing a variety of symbols and concepts to express intimate experiences rich with feeling and an enchanting atmosphere. On “Agnus Dei,” an apocalyptic concept frames the events of the song, wherein the main character struggles to keep someone in their life, though at a particular distance: “Oh, here comes the apocalypse / And I can’t get enough of it / Meet you at the bus stop / Tell me to wait, but I won’t.”
The band’s juxtaposition of melancholy lyrical themes with upbeat and vibrant sounds yields a climactic highlight in “Count the Ways,” where a relationship plays out in a warped tug-of-war of pleasure: “You’ll break into my house / I’ll break into your house / Do it, I’ll do it / If you twist the knife right / I will twist the knife left.” Though their hook-laden sensibilities are direct, with a focus on flowing melodies, they showcase their strength through spirited arrangements.
Every member of The Last Dinner Party has a hand in writing songs, but Nishevci’s string arrangements are a powerful aspect of the album, bringing added technical depth to their work. “Woman is a Tree” is one of the more minimalist songs on the record, and yet the arrangement of viola, violin, guitar, and drums come together to provide the kind of mysticism and metaphor that Morris’ lyrics convey: “Woman is the tree / Man a clinging vine on the branch / The voices of children are heard on the hill / My heart is at rest now and everything’s / Still”.
From the Pyre is a stellar expansion of The Last Dinner Party’s theatrical rock, elevating an emotional lyrical immediacy through eclectic instrumental arrangements that are thrilling, melancholic, and always captivating. It’s an invitation into yet another fantastical world.
Label: Universal
Year: 2025
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