The Last Dinner Party Go West with “This is the Killer Speaking”

Photo by Laura Marie Cieplik

“This is the Killer Speaking” is The Last Dinner Party’s first single off their upcoming sophomore album, From The Pyre. From the first beat, it’s clear that this track stays true to the baroque pop style of their first full-length, Prelude to Ecstasy. A frantic piano flourish and suspenseful rhythm guitar start the song and set the stage for the story about to be told. 

When lead singer Abigail Morris comes in, she’s almost crooning. She sings of being “scorned”, while also making it known that she’s not too broken up about this relationship ending. She sings like she’s staring daggers at her former partner. The intensity builds with the pre-chorus and explodes with the chorus, Morris declaring herself both “the killer” and “your girl.” 

In contrast to the somewhat threatening lyrics, the instrumentation in the pre-chorus and chorus takes on a slightly different feel. At this point, the rest of the band (Lizzie Mayland and Emily Roberts on guitar, Georgia Davies on bass, and Aurora Nishevci on piano) joins in. Twangy slide and lead guitar lines, piano, strings, and a bouncy bassline create a power pop-meets-country atmosphere. The shifting tempo between the verses and choruses establishes tension, giving the song suspense. The record’s overall dark and powerful mood is what lends it the familiar Last Dinner Party sound.     

In the second verse, our narrator seeks revenge: “If only you’d been honest, could’ve spared this bloodshed / Now I’m wanted ‘cross several county lines.” This tone of revenge is evident not only in the lyrics and delivery, but also in the single’s video. In a fantasy Old West, we see the band members playing various characters who are either on the hunt for, or know something about, “the killer.” The Last Dinner Party as themselves are the house band in this downtown saloon, providing the soundtrack to the search.

The tension reaches a breaking point in the bridge, when Morris assures her new enemy that they’ve not seen the last of her. It begins slow, like the verses before, but picks up speed as the final chorus approaches. “This is the Killer Speaking” has all the elements fans love about The Last Dinner Party’s discography: powerful but controlled vocals, indie pop-rock choruses, and a hint of witchy-ness. 

From The Pyre will be released October 17, 2025 via Island Records. The Last Dinner Party are currently playing festivals throughout the UK, Europe, and the US, now through September. More information on live dates can be found here.