It’s happening again. The British are coming. It was sometime in 2021 when a completely unknown band released an hypnotic ear worm of a pop-rock song that took over the world. Indie rock group Wet Leg debuted “Chaise Longue” and followed that up with a chart topping debut album in 2022 multiple Brit and Grammy Awards. Fast forward to 2024 and the sounds of a recently formed band from the UK are washing up on the shores of America.
The Last Dinner Party formed in 2021 as the world was bracing for Wet Leg’s soon to be dominance on rock radio. The band began to garner some massive buzz off of their vivacious live shows before they had released any music. In fact, the vastly growing hype around the band led to them opening for the Rolling Stones in Hyde Park in 2022 before a single note had ever been released.
In April, the 5-piece band fronted by lead singer Abigail Morris released the anthemic “Nothing Matters” and the rocket was then strapped to them and there was no looking back. Now, it’s early 2024 and their debut album Prelude to Ecstasy has arrived. The album is ambitious, bold, subtle, extravagant and so much more. It will be hard to find a better debut in 2024 and is bound to be in everyones Top 10 list at the end of the year.
Musically the album paints broad pictures that are full of bright colors. It is extremely theatrical and decadent. At times it sounds as if ABBA was dropped into the middle of the Glam Rock era instead of disco especially on “Sinner” and the aforementioned lead single. The cheeky and powerful “Nothing Matters” began as a sleepy ballad but once Morris took the song to her band mates it began to take the shape of a powerful song about taking back your sexual freedom in a relationship.
The theme of sexual navigation as well as mother-daughter relationships, loss, and contemptuous love help form the album thematically and combined with the brilliant production from James Ford The Last Dinner Party has the early lead for album of the year. How many pop-rock albums can you name that open with an orchestral overture? I’ll wait.
This album has balls and is not afraid to bare them. Morris joined by her former university mates Emily Roberts, Lizzie Mayland, Georgia Davies, and Aurura Nishevci have created a hard to live up to hype from their extremely entertaining live shows but Prelude to Ecstasy proves that they have the goods and balls to meet it head on.
The Last Dinner Party is a band that I cannot recommend you listen to enough but there are some other great albums out this week worth your time checking out. Baton Rogue singer-songwriter Briti made the trek to Nashville last year to record her debut album Hello, I’m Briti with Black Keys lead singer Dan Auerbach producing. Take a listen to some of the highlights on the album including “Nothing Compares to You,” “Silly Boy,” and “So Tired.”
The Last Dinner Party begin their North American tour in March that includes their Coachella debut in April.
If you are of a certain age like myself and constantly looking for some nostalgia from your youth then you’ll be excited to learn that industrial rock band KMFDM is back with their latest release Let Go. Sascha Konietzko is the only original member still in the group and their sound is not the same as I remember when first discovering them in 1993 when Angst was released but it’s still a great KMFDM record. Check out “Push,” Touch,” and the title track for a listen down memory lane.
Steven McCash is the Lead Music Writer and Utility Man for SoBros Network. Steven is the host of the ‘Drinking With…’ podcast, and the pioneer of New Music Friday, highlighting each week’s new releases in the world of music in addition to the occasional live show review. He also pitches in as a Nashville lifestyle writer and football analyst (hence the ‘Utility Man’ title). Follow on Twitter: @MC_Cash75
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