I can’t say that I approached this album without bias. I’ve been a diehard fan of The Last Dinner Party (TLDP) since discovering their breakout hit “Nothing Matters” in early 2024. Their debut album, “Prelude to Ecstasy,” has been a mainstay of my playlists ever since that fateful listen, and I began eagerly awaiting the announcement of new music.
Unlike some of my other favorite contemporary artists whose album gestational periods range from three to five years (e.g., Sam Fender, Hozier and Florence + The Machine), TLDP didn’t make me wait long. Just a little more than a year after “Prelude to Ecstasy” debuted, TLDP announced their sophomore project, “From the Pyre,” would be released on Oct. 17, 2025. It was summer when I learned this, and I spent the intermittent months waiting listlessly and listening to the album’s singles on repeat.
By the time October rolled around, I was equal parts excited and anxious. The singles: “This is the Killer Speaking,” “The Scythe” and “Second Best” were so standout in terms of lyrics and sound that I worried the rest of the album wouldn’t hold a candle.
I shouldn’t have been concerned. With “From the Pyre,” TLDP not only refines their baroque indie-pop style, but also proves their mettle as musicians — expanding the scope of the stories and emotions they can convey through music.
“From the Pyre” is a compact album of 10 songs with a 42-minute runtime. There’s no excess here (aside from the artfully cluttered aesthetic), which means all the included songs are precise in their execution.
Each track has its own unique quality — “Sail Away” is almost entirely anchored in piano music, “Woman Is A Tree” features a distinct choral chant at the beginning, the bridge of “Rifle” is sung in French — yet there’s no time to stray or overindulge, so all of the songs are cohesive and thematically linked. All songs feel purposeful. TLDP’s lack of padding creates an album with no skips.
“From the Pyre,” too, feels more mature. TLDP retains their penchant for abstract metaphors and fantasy, but it’s also clear that the stories being conveyed in song are rooted in personal, lived anecdotes.
“Woman is a Tree” grapples with TLDP’s own experiences as women in society and the music industry, while also retaining a mystical, ethereal quality, singing: “I’m superior mother, I answer the call / There is no other, I capture the fall.”
“I Hold Your Anger” is an introspective ballad about considering motherhood that also features imagery of female deities and mythical heroes. Lines include: “I don’t know if I’d be a good mother / I had a dream that you cut off your arm / And I blame myself, I should have told you to be careful,” and “Cause I’m woman / And I’m mother / Oh I’m a ship inside a bottle.”
Perhaps most intimate — and my favorite track — is “The Scythe,” an exploration of the nightmare of grief set to dreamy synths and lush guitar. The dualities contained within this song are complex and deeply sincere. It’s almost painful to listen to, but the song’s core message of love’s endurability provides the ultimate catharsis. I often think about the song’s bridge, which features the lines: “Open me up, butcher my heart / Please let me die on the street where you live.”
Admittedly, raising the bar this high means TLDP has their work cut out for them. With a solid discography behind them and a tour rapidly approaching, their reputation and fanbase are only going to grow.
I’m not worried, though, about TLDP’s musical progression. I have no doubt they will continue to stretch themselves as artists — and succeed. If “From the Pyre” proves anything, it’s that TLDP isn’t slowing down anytime soon. With any luck, they’ll be serving up banquets of tasty melodies, rhythm and lyrics for a long, long time.