The Last Dinner Party – a British band with theatrical performances and a contemporary baroque-inspired sound – have captured the imagination of critics and fans alike. Their meteoric rise to fame, culminating in sold-out gigs at London’s Apollo this October, and we think this makes them the perfect subject for our ongoing scent matching series…
The quintet’s unique blend of art rock and indie pop, coupled with their Renaissance-inspired aesthetic, creates a rich tapestry of sensory experiences. Their music is a heady mix of dramatic vocals, soaring melodies, and intricate instrumentals that transport listeners to a world of opulence and intrigue. It’s this multifaceted approach to their art that makes The Last Dinner Party ripe for olfactory exploration.
At The Perfume Society, we’ve long believed that fragrance has the power to enhance our appreciation of other art forms. By pairing scents with songs, we can delve deeper into the mood and character of both the music and the perfume. It’s a synesthetic journey that adds new dimensions to our understanding of these creative works.
The Last Dinner Party has a sound that has been likened to ‘a heady cocktail of influences’, from Kate Bush and David Bowie to ABBA and Florence and the Machine. This eclectic mix is reflected in their visual presentation, with the band often appearing in elaborate, period-inspired costumes that wouldn’t look out of place in a Baroque painting or a Victorian gothic novel. We reckon they probably all smell amazing as well! But which songs are we choosing to scent, and how…?
Their debut single, ‘Nothing Matters‘, burst onto the scene with all the drama and flair we’ve come to expect from the band. The song’s powerful vocals and crescendo of instruments create a sense of euphoria and abandon that begs for a bold, statement scent to match its intensity.
Scent Match: Sarah Baker Peach’s Revenge
This ain’t no innocent prissy peach perfume, that’s for sure. Describing it as a ‘Viciously juicy peach for Renaissance power plays,’ perfumer Chris Maurice leans into the ripe fruitiness, which veritably drips deception, being laced with amaretto and hiding a sizzle of ginger and cinnamon in the flesh. Imagining ‘A handsome villain [strutting] out of the orchard trumpeting an exuberance of salacious fruit,’ the creamy caramel builds a delicious throb of anticipation.
£145 for 50ml extrait de parfum in our shop
Another standout track, ‘Sinner‘, showcases the band’s ability to blend the theatrical with the deeply personal. Its introspective lyrics and building instrumental layers pairs beautifully with an opulent, sensual scent that reveals new facets with each listen…
Scent Match: Jean Paul Gaultier Scandal Absolu Parfum Concentré
Monsieur Gaultier cares not for old-fashioned biblical warnings of ‘gilding the lily’: with customary twinkling charm this intensified version of the original dips every petal of a tuberose stem in gold. Thus encased, the floral notes shimmer to ripe, syrup-drenched fig and a silken sandalwood base. Daring the wearer to ‘indulge in the most eccentric and irresistible pleasures,’ we suggest you wear with your most glam party heels and dancing on tables!
£105 for 50ml parfum theperfumeshop.com
The title track of their debut album, ‘Prelude to Ecstasy‘, hints at the sensual and the sublime. One can imagine a fragrance that captures both the anticipation and the release, with notes that unfold slowly, mirroring the song’s journey…
Scent Match: Amouage Love Delight
Inviting us to ‘savour every moment of indulgence’, this is veritably laced with loveliness. From the warming, aqueous tingle of ginger (unusually used in the top notes, here), juicy mandarin and cinnamon-sprinkled rivulets of rose water; there’s an abundant floral bouquet via entwined swags of jasmine, heliotrope and rose. As the scent warms on skin, the fragrant garden path leads us to an altogether more sensual encounter of rum-swirled cocoa-flecked warm vanilla.
£320 for 100ml eau de parfum harrods.com
Another track on that album we feel is begging to be scent-matched is ‘Burn Alive’. The concept can symbolise transformation and renewal, akin to the rich, smoky notes that add a sizzle to a scent, and the song’s driving rhythms and passionate lyrics evoke feelings of heat and fervour, suggesting a spicy scent profile…
Scent Match: Marc-Antoine Barrois Ganymede Extrait
With a longevity and projection that will astonish and delight fans of the original Ganymede (and quite possibly summon fragrance lovers from other planets), this olfactive encounter imagines the dry, hot rockiness of Jupiter’s satellite. Brilliantly conceived by founder and designer Barrois, and composed by his good friend and genius nose, Quentin Bisch, waves of warm, sandy immortelle flowers drift with incense to a mineralic, leathery base. Truly otherworldly.
£260 for 50ml extrait harrods.com
Meanwhile, ‘My Lady of Mercy’, with its haunting melody and religious imagery, calls for a scent that balances the sacred and the profane – perhaps an incense-laden perfume with a twist of something unexpectedly modern…?
Scent Match Serges Lutens L’Orpheline
Lutens’ achingly personal inspiration conjures incense swirls, evoking the mystic rituals it’s used for. The cold flagstones of a darkened church echo here to carefully paced footsteps, before billows of smoke clear and slender slivers of brightness appear. L’Orpheline is veiled in a scented, sacred mystery, its emotions running deep.
£191 50ml eau de parfum harveynichols.com
Written by Suzy Nightingale