The debut long-player from the London baroque pop provocateurs,
Prelude to Ecstasy
combines the sweeping, Brontë-esque indie rock of
Florence + the Machine
and the come-hither decadence of
Suede
with the winking pop acumen of
Sparks
and
Wet Leg
. The group's swift ascension to rock royalty -- they nabbed an opening slot for
the Rolling Stones
in Hyde Park without releasing a single yet -- was met with knee-jerk accusations of nepotism and industry chicanery, charges that the group rebuked by being really f*cking good. 2023's "Nothing Matters," a lusty, festival-ready anthem that comes off like
Anna Calvi
fronting
ABBA
, stormed the U.K. charts and set a bold precedent. The arrivals of "Sinner" and "My Lady of Mercy" answered the call, with the former channeling
Roxy Music
Bowie
-- check out the gnarly,
Carlos Alomar
-inspired guitar work from
Emily Roberts
-- and the latter pairing
Abigail Morris
'
Russell Mael
lilt and syllabic gymnastics with the operatic splendor of
Miranda Sex Garden
. The remainder of
draws from all those influences, delivering a remarkably assured set of bold-faced indie rock and maximalist goth pop teaming with earworm melodies, intelligent, darkly romantic lyrics, and thespian bluster. ~ James Christopher Monger