Indie rock band The Last Dinner Party boasted their pending legacy with their first album’s title, Prelude to Ecstasy. Their second album released Friday, From The Pyre, attempts to uphold this legacy, delivering a grand expansion on their dreamy and imaginative sound.

The opening track, “Agnus Dei,” lights the fire with lead singer Abigail Morris’ vocals, establishing the project as an edgier addition to their discography. It is an interesting introduction with a British glam Queen-esque tone, asking: “Was that enough to make you come? Am I enough to make you stay?”

Staying true to their core, The Last Dinner Party serves layered lyricism, nodding to both romantic and religious themes.

A guitar riff reminiscent of Arctic Monkeys’ style guides listeners into “Count the Ways”, an outstanding gothic-rock recount of an omniscient romantic pain. The guitar felt fresh and new, and their overall experimentation is cozy.

They meet their storytelling quota with “This is the Killer Speaking”, encouraging a sing-along with the band’s backing vocals. Describing a romantic connection that ultimately met its demise, the lyrics are gut-punching.

“Your kindness didn’t last beyond a fry-up and my spit upon your sheets,” Morris sings. “When your hand is bigger than my heart / You can crush it just the way you like.”

But then they lost me with: “You look like a weeping saint with your infected eye.”

I understand the intent was to flip off your ex, but the adjective choice of “infected” stuck out like a sore thumb. Why “infected?” Why introduce the imagery of a stye or pink eye? Then I remembered the spit on the sheets and what that infection might imply. It’s a gross, but funny, joke.

[Get over your ex-friend with these 4 songs]

Though that song was a cheeky little puzzle to figure out, “Rifle” was just unsolvable. It was theatric, interesting, apocalyptic, rousing, but left me wondering why the French at the end?

Another review called it sophistication, but I thought it was pointlessly grasping at intrigue. In fulfilling their legacy of layered lyricism in the beginning and middle, a subversion like that at the end shouldn’t confuse the listener — it should be an easter egg. I wanted to find something interesting when I searched, “Is anyone in The Last Dinner Party French?”

No, they’re definitely British.

Unfortunately, this is where my green check mark streak stopped on Spotify. The last chunk of the album was mush, not flavorless but texture-less.

“Sail Away” was calm and pretty, but I would bet money that “I’m more than a girl, I am a seaside” will eventually be an Instagram caption for an esoteric photo dump.

The three song run, “Woman is a Tree,” “I Hold Your Anger” and “Sail Away,” are the holy trinity to convince tortured young women who can’t afford a therapist to scream these marketably vulnerable lyrics on their recently announced tour. Featuring opportunities for that cathartic collective scream is nice, but it didn’t impress.

Surprisingly, the magic does not translate through headphones for a more vocally forward project. My ears became tired. The listening experience felt far from dynamic with the same repetitive group chants.

[‘She Loves Me’ musical brings rom-com shenanigans to The Clarice]

“The Scythe” is a song that Abby Lee Miller would’ve choreographed a lyrical group piece to. And on the album’s last song, “Inferno”, I realized why I felt confused. Their PR team undoubtedly asked AI what their next move should be to keep the momentum from their 2023 hit “Nothing Matters”.

They definitely read the rubric, turned it in on time and the focus group may have loved it. Yet, it feels cleansed of the earwormish quality of their debut.

Ultimately, it’s still an amazing project, but you have to appreciate it like abstract art in a museum. It’s impactful, but you’ll forget about it until randomly scrolling through your camera roll one day.

From The Pyre must be served hot and fresh, loud in a concert hall. The beginning was fantastic, but the album should’ve leaned more into the rock-edge that it teased. Though a sufficient expansion on their sound, it is primarily effective in its purpose to sell tickets.

I really hope that they play more of their first album than this one at The Anthem in April — I guess I’m sold.