Hamburg hard rockers Lucifer’s Friend have some superb tunes in their locker: the strident Ride The Sky, Toxic Shadows, the 12-minute psych opus Spanish Galleon.
Having reformed five years ago, their 2019 comeback Black Moon showed they still have fuel in their tank. By comparison, the debut solo album from founding guitarist Peter Hesslein sputters and stalls on the hard shoulder. He dedicates Night Drive to “all artists who work at night, as their normal working hours, but then have to drive home.” There hasn’t been too much of that over the past 12 months, and even if there were, listeners would probably switch back to the World Service a few minutes into this oddity.
Opener Turn The Radio On starts with a car engine turning over, and for the next hour you’re motoring to fusion-lite instrumentals called Slow Down A Bit and Long Way To Go. Hesslein’s guitar is always amiably tuneful, Winding Road and Blinded By The Lights have a good groove, and Home Again is undeniably catchy. Ultimately though, the cheesy, synth-heavy backing tracks, cod Latin beats (Exit The Highway) and the ersatz soul vibe (Getting Tired) make for a long, uncomfortable ride.