Album Review: ‘Prelude to Ecstasy’ by The Last Dinner Party

The album, which was recorded inside a church, opens with the fully instrumental title track. This epic opening to an album includes a full orchestra, making for a very haunting sound. It’s almost like the listener is entering another world. The track builds to a climax before dying out and taking the audience into the first song of the album, ‘Burn Alive’, one of several tracks on this album about the pain caused by a toxic relationship. In this song, Morris sings that she “keeps herself standing in your flames” – acknowledging that the relationship is hurting her, yet also stating that “this is too good to last”. Despite the suffering, she still feels that it is too good to be true. The song is backed by the sounds of drums and guitar. What must also be noted is the lyric “I’d break off my ribs to make another you”; a clear reference to Eve being created from Adam’s rib and one of several biblical references throughout this album. 

In ‘Caesar on a TV Screen’, the album’s latest single prior to the release, the band sings about the power of being a man and that if they’d been men, they’d have been listened to a lot more. Caesar is just one example of a powerful man in history, but emperor Nero is referenced as well: “an emperor with a city to burn” can only refer to one person. The band states that the track is meant to poke fun at male fragility and the rage that stems from a desire to be loved. The drums and guitars in the song add a catchy beat, especially in the chorus and the outro.

The theme of toxic masculinity continues in ‘The Feminine Urge’, a track heavily supported by drums and bass that speaks about being a woman in a man’s world, especially within a relationship where the man is the controlling part. This is evident especially from the line “failure to commit to the role, I admit, was a failure you achieved on your own” – the singer does not want to be held down by stereotypical gender roles. The song builds to a peak during the final chorus, continuing on in a faster tempo until it slows down again into ‘On Your Side’. This song,  also discussing a failed relationship, opens with a piano in the first verse before adding drums, synths and guitar. According to lead singer Morris, the track discusses being devoted to someone to the extent that they can do no wrong in your eyes, even though you know they’re hurting you. The betrayal of the partner is referenced in the lyric “back to the olive mount you lead me to”, with the olive mount pointing at the spot in East Jerusalem where Jesus prayed before Judas’ betrayal. Later in this verse, Morris sings about the partner throwing her down the rocks, thinking she could fly. It’s a beautifully haunting song where the partner thinks they’re doing good, but are only hurting her. The ethereal outro with gas-like sounds only adds to this feeling. 

In ‘Beautiful Boy’, The Last Dinner Party sings to a slower rhythm about the jealousy a woman can feel towards a handsome man. The song was inspired by a male friend of Morris’ and talks about how for a man, being pretty is but a privilege, whereas for a woman it can come with many dangers. The band discusses how femininity can be a restriction. It opens with the magical sounds of a flute accompanied by the piano. The unconventional structure of the song is what makes it even more interesting – with two verses and just one chorus before diving into the faster outro of drums and guitar.  

Track seven is the shortest track in the album and is sung by Nischevi in Albanian. The song reflects on her inability to speak her own native language. It opens with humming and ends with high pitched vocalizing while a guitar is being strummed in the background. 

After this Albanian interlude, the album moves to ‘Sinner’, where the lower note of the piano is playing while Morris talks about wanting the innocence of a childhood relationship, wishing to have known someone before it felt “like a sin”. The track takes a look at the fact that the church as an institution views queer relationships as an act against God. In the chorus, the piano is again joined by guitar and drums. The song makes several direct references to Christianity in lyrics such as “turn to the altar of Lust” and “Soak in the crystal stream, wash the sin from your back” which is meant to be understood as baptism. While quite a dark track, it’s very catchy, especially in its final moments.

The “anguish of a teenage crush”, especially a queer one, is furthermore discussed in ‘My Lady of Mercy’, about which the band has stated that it’s about looking at a painting of Joan of Arc and wanting to kiss both her and the girl who she’s viewing it with. The song opens with drums and clapping before adding a guitar. It makes for a very sensual song in a religious framework – “I’ll see you on Sunday”, Morris sings to her crush. The vocalizing bridge only adds to this feeling. 

In ‘Portrait of a Dead Girl’, the album moves back into the direction of a toxic relationship. Supported by heavy guitar riffs and melodic drumming , Morris compares her partner to a wolf, a beast, and a guard dog all in one verse, stating that “with one wrong move he’ll turn around and tear off her hands”. She knows that her partner could kill her, but still stays with him. In the final notes of the song, the drummer ferociously bangs on the drums  before it goes quiet. 

Next on the album is the band’s debut single, ‘Nothing Matters’, a love song more about the intimate part of a relationship. It is upbeat and has a more positive outlook on affection between the partners involved compared to other tracks on this album. Morris wrote the song about the boyfriend she was with at the time, making explicit sexual comments on how she felt about him. However, she also sings in the bridge that she “put my heart inside your palms, my home in your arms” which is more cute than anything else. In addition the song  includes an amazing instrumental guitar break. 

The final track on the album is ‘Mirror’,  is more of an introspective track about one’s own mental health. Morris sings “What if I keep sinking? If I drown will they make me a star”. The song falls very much in line with the idea of Taylor Swift’s ‘mirrorball’, especially when the “I’m just a mirror, pretty glass, an empty heart” are heard. It  jumps on the idea that as a singer especially, you’re on view and don’t exist outside of it and that people find watching others break entertaining. In the meantime, the band discuss that she is looking for something (or someone) to make her feel warm, but does not want to let them in, scared of destroying the curated narrative. The song makes for a perfect ending to the album, where Morris sings “I fade away” before a piano and strings finish it all off, making a nod back towards ‘Prelude to Ecstasy’. 

The Last Dinner Party have said that “Ecstasy is a pendulum swings between the extremes of human emotion”, which is exactly what the audience is treated to. They discuss both the pain and passion of love while being a woman of religious experience. The album is extremely personal. Many fans can probably relate, as they enjoy the multifaceted aspects of the variety of instruments used. The aesthetics of the album – recording it in a church, adding an orchestra and a wide array of reference to both the Bible and ancient Rome – only add to what can be called an experience.