Before they even had their second single out, The Last Dinner Party became a pop political issue on the Internet: This ostensibly indie band actually has a major label and powerful management behind them! Great indignation! Of course: Londoners benefit when money is spent on their behalf – that’s the point of the matter. But a major could really support worse music than this atmospheric gothic glam rock, which sometimes comes across as groovy, playful and with fantastic guitar work (“Nothing Matters”), sometimes as a piano stomper (“Sinner”), sometimes as sixties pop (“The Feminine Urge”) – and even as an Albanian folk song (“Gjuha”).
Overall, “Prelude To Ecstasy” is an exciting debut
There is no question that this band has character. The production by British veteran James Ford is perhaps a little smoother than it needs to be – more dirt wouldn’t have hurt the sinister atmosphere. There are decisions that don’t quite work out; some dynamic changes seem like they’re trying to be weird. Overall, “Prelude To Ecstasy” is an exciting debut.