Ciao Lucifer
Sunset Riders
(Self Release)
Digital
Released 25 September 2026
★★★★★ 5/5
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Amsterdam duo Ciao Lucifer release Sunset Riders. A vibrant album rooted in indie sensibilities that draws comparisons to the likes of The Wombats and Circa Waves, Sunset Riders was recorded almost completely live, and with it brings an exciting, fresh feel.
Where previous records were shaped by long hours and obsessive fine-tuning, Sunset Riders came together in just three days, capturing an immediacy and raw energy. The shift was prompted by a familiar frustration: the energy of the duo’s live shows wasn’t translating to tape. With producer Simon Akkermans (Pip Blom, Iguana Death Cult) on board, the aim was to capture that feeling in real time, rather than spend hours trying to recreate it in the studio.
The process behind Sunset Riders was deliberately stripped back. Most of the album consists of first takes, with drums, vocals and guitar tracked together. Marnix handles the low end on a modified 10-string guitar fitted with an extra pickup, filling the role of a bass player the duo don’t have. Nothing was rebuilt afterwards, and little was left to second-guess.
The result is a spacious, high-energy and beautifully balanced collection of tracks. Simple yet effective, the album captures the flair of early indie records while bringing a fresh sense of excitement, playful experimentation and personality to the sound.
The opening track, What Is That Supposed to Mean, quickly establishes the tone and showcases the success of this approach. Beautifully simple, vibrant and joyously free, the track balances its breezy feel with biting lyricism, bringing a bittersweet edge to an otherwise infectious indie-pop sound. It is wonderfully uncomplicated and wholly effective, delivering a catchy, enjoyable introduction to the record.
Title track Sunset Riders feels reminiscent of an early 2000s indie album, reviving that era’s colourful aesthetic through vibrant melodies and a tongue-in-cheek sense of humour. Kissing in the Rain shifts the tone with funk-tinged guitar work, while tight, crunching drums create a more atmospheric feel. Subtle synth lines and boxy, distorted vocals bring moments of Gorillaz-esque character, adding texture to the duo’s otherwise bright indie sound.
Elsewhere, Do Do Do leans further into a Beach Boys-esque sunshine-indie feel, reminiscent of Dutch band Criminal Record, before the angular guitar lines of You Snooze, You Loose introduce more challenging rhythmic shifts and showcase the band’s experimental side.
One of the album’s highlights, Get Me In / Get Me Out, brings a 90s Britpop feel through its shuffling, boxy drums and driving guitar riffs. Capturing the band at their most exciting, the track experiments in all the right places while retaining the biting sarcasm and wit that run through the songwriting. Infectious melodies and a raw, danceable energy give it an irresistible momentum, making it one of the record’s most compelling moments.
All Night Long brings a grittier punch through its rough-edged guitar work and pounding drums, with flashes of Led Zeppelin in its heavier instrumental approach. The track balances the band’s indie tendencies with a more intense, psychedelic garage-rock drive, offering a welcome shift in energy and texture.
The closing trio of Big Trouble, No Goal and The Easy Life returns to the colourful, bright and vibrant indie pop that sits at the heart of the band’s sound. In fact, by the time the album finishes, it becomes clear that any number of these tracks could stand alone as singles, a testament to the duo’s songwriting and knack for crafting memorable hooks.
Across Sunset Riders, the duo turn their attention to the small moments that make up everyday life, from patching things up with a partner to lying awake at 3am or finding an unexpected sense of contentment on the road. The subject matter is personal, but the approach is anything but heavy-handed, with real feeling wrapped in hooks that draw you in before you’ve had time to think too hard about them.
What emerges from Sunset Riders is more than a collection of upbeat, hook-driven songs. The record offers a glimpse of a band trusting its instincts, embracing the imperfections of a first take and putting the feeling of playing together ahead of studio perfection. In doing so, Ciao Lucifer deliver a record that celebrates the spontaneity, colour and infectious energy of indie music, reminding us that sometimes the best results come from simply letting the music happen.
Listen & Download here.
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All words by Simon Lucas-Hughes. You can find more in his author’s archive.
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