In 2012,
Peter Bjorn and John’s John Eriksson released his debut “solo” album under the name
Hortlax Cobra.
Night Shift is a chilly disc of icy synth pop that incorporated the hooky songcraft PB and J are known for, but added plenty of
Moroder-inspired atmosphere. It was actually his second album to be completed. Years before he had begun working on, then subsequently set aside,
1984. A tribute to the first album he bought as a kid, his album re-creates
Van Halen’s album of the same name right down to track times, tempos, keys, and titles. Using all synths and drum machines, plus the occasional vocoder voice, the album has none of the stadium-rocking charisma of
Van Halen's work but instead delves into the cold, dark underbelly of the hedonistic side of the band’s music. Eriksson builds songs out of the fat synth tones Eddie Van Halen used on “Jump,” then surrounds them with clunky drum machines, chirping synth tones and the occasional robotic voice. It sounds nothing like
VH at all, but you could maybe imagine Eddie hearing it and nodding his head in vague understanding. Or perhaps
Dave would put it on in the limo on the lonely drive back through rain-soaked streets to the hotel after another one-night stand and be comforted by the intimate coldness the album exudes. “Cold for Teacher”? No matter whether the band would have been into it, anyone with a fondness for well-constructed, slightly melancholy synth pop will be into it. Eriksson’s knack for melody is strong as ever here, and even without the novelty of the
Van Halen construct, it’s still an impressive and highly enjoyable album. ~ Tim Sendra