Bacchanalia Magazine

by Rachel Amarille

For dedicated fans of The Last Dinner Party, the newest single, “Second Best,” is hardly a stranger. First making its appearance on setlists almost two years ago, even before the release of the band’s first album, “Second Best” has been a staple of live performances, and the long wait has certainly paid off.

Detailing a tumultuous relationship, “Second Best” is as much of a musical rollercoaster as it is an emotional one. Opening with a chorus of layered harmonies and a lone piano, the song quickly crumbles into jagged, fast-paced guitars and a heavy, dynamic bassline, all with a beautiful string arrangement scattered throughout. As the song’s chorus states, “Ain’t it good?” and it certainly is.

It is all of the best things about The Last Dinner Party — danger, mystery, anguish — and all this before the song’s bridge, in which the band’s singers Abigail Morris and Lizzie Mayland cement what listeners have long suspected; that this is secretly a band of sirens and we are merely the sailors, waiting to be lured in. 

The repeated mantra, which could arguably serve as the song’s thesis, “What do I do to be better for you” is simply, yet beautifully put. Like many of the lyrics, it is quietly devastating. Yet, the song as a whole maintains so much of The Last Dinner Party’s signature bite and gumption. It is evocative and aching, but also witty and victorious.

From the beginning, The Last Dinner Party has been marked for the maximalism and power they bring to their approach. As a live band, they honed their skills through their performances, leading to a very well-practiced debut album. Yet still, “Second Best” is truly something special from them. Perhaps it is simply the years of repeated performance, but there is something unshakable about this song. 
“Second Best” is the third single from The Last Dinner Party’s second studio album, From The Pyre, releasing October 17th!

Tickets for TLDP’s From The Pyre tour here

Pre-order ‘From The Pyre’ here

Photo credit: Rachell Smith