4/5
A Midsommar Night's Dream
London's own, The Last Dinner Party fuse Kate Bush, Björk, Phoebe Bridgers (and the rest of her Boygenius supergroup), The Jezabels, Florence and the Machine, and so much more into their own style and 'Midsommar' music. This baroque pop and art rock gives us a late contender for album of the year, 'From The Pyre', just shy of two years since their prior, 'Prelude To Ecstasy' breakout gave us, explicit lyrics in hits like Lana Del Rey, and their signature, 'Nothing Matters'. Now, you can add a few more chart climbers to the women in music's 'Sinner', 'Caesar On A TV Screen' and 'This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us' jukebox. All in the same week and New Music Friday, Haim give us a deluxe version (featuring more Bon Iver) of their own album of the year ('I Quit') and the great Chrissie Hynde and pals play pretend on some classic covers for a 'Duets Special'.
Abigail Morris (vocals), Lizzie Mayland (vocals, guitar), Emily Roberts (lead guitar, mandolin, flute), Georgia Davies (bass), Aurora Nishevci (keyboards, vocals) and a revolving roll call of drummers on the skins waste no time in going from your new favourite band, to a fond and familiar one. The artwork in the park is Shakespearean and the singles, set to play the globe, too. This combustible material primed to blow, like Fawkes this fall, is the perfect corpse bride for Halloween. Florence Pugh would be proud. The ceremony begins with the big hit 'This Is The Killer Speaking' and a murderous movie of a music video, playing it up. The third single 'Second Best' is anything but, as it joins the likes of 'On Your Side' and 'My Lady Of Mercy' to show you this Dinner Party has no peace and eats when it comes to a deluxe discography that is already definitive in its compelling and complex catalogue. On these top ten tracks, Last Shadow Puppets member James Ford (producing for the likes of Florence, Haim and Blur) gets a writing credit on tracks like 'Count The Ways'. But it's 'The Scythe' that will really cut you down in black and white. Especially when it comes to the moving music video with shades of LCD Soundsystem's 'Oh Baby' movie starring David Strathairn and Sissy Spacek, or The Jezabel lead Hayley Mary's final call to heed of 'Young & Stupid'.
From the atmospheric 'Agnus Dei' operatic opening, to the curtains of a blazing 'Inferno' in sacrifice closing, 'From The' is something that will stay with you long after the smoke clears. The Markus Dravs (Arcade Fire, Hozier, Mumford & Sons) produced Island record makes October it's very own. Soon to be a classic like its cover, or prelude predecessor. Critical acclaim and award nominations came with 'Ecstasy', but this may just be the classic climax that turns LDP into a household name over your dinner table. Thanks to servings like 'Rifle' and second helpings such as one of the best 'I Hold Your Anger' as you pass the salt. On 'Woman Is A Tree' Mayland muses, "Blow, winds, crack your cheeks/I can’t feel a thing anymore/I’m superior mother, I answer the call/There is no other, I capture the fall." And this Autumn album does exactly that before the Last Dinner 'Sail(s) Away', like David Gray. Leaving the party with, "I'm more than a girl, I am a seaside/You carved your name inside of my thigh/Blue eyes, stained glass/You want the world, I'd give it to you/Just don't smoke in your room, buy new running shoes/Out in your garden spring has come." This is one last dance you want to save. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Playlist Picks: 'Woman Is A Tree', 'I Hold Your Anger', 'The Scythe'.
Spin This: The Last Dinner Party - 'Prelude To Ecstasy'.
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