I used to be a big K’s Choice fan. Ever since I saw this Belgian band late one night on public television where they performed My Record Company [YouTube], Paradise In Me [last.fm] and Not An Addict [YouTube], I was a fan. I bought all their CDs and I loved them, and for the most part, I still do.
In 2003, K’s Choice split up. Sarah Bettens and her brother Gert Bettens, who were the songwriting talent behind K’s Choice, decided to go separate ways to explore solo careers. Sarah Bettens released three solo albums, Scream, Shine and Never Say Goodbye, and while her husky voice was part of what drew me to K’s Choice in the first place, the lyrics and music on her solo records were somewhat disappointing. The best song to come out of those seven years is (ironically…) I Can Do Better Than You [YouTube].
If you’re a regular visitor to this blog, you have read about my thoughts on K’s Choice and I Can Do Better (twice) before, also on Gert’s project Woodface. However, I failed to mention that back when I ordered the Woodface album Good Morning Hope from Mediadis, I also ordered Comet. I forgot all about that because they never delivered it. They waited a month or so until they decided to send my other CDs ahead of time, then Comet never came. Now, about seven months later, I received emails from Mediadis saying they were bankrupt and sorry. It would be rude to say the quality of the Woodface albums has anything to do with them going bankrupt, so I won’t. It would be a good joke, though.
I did get to listen to Comet meanwhile (thanks Mel), and while Good Morning Hope has its highlights, Comet is rather boring altogether. To me, none of the songs stand out and they are average rock songs that work well as white noise.
Apart from their music, it’s also disappointing that Gert and Sarah rarely gave a status update to tell people what they were working on, and usually if you did get one of their newsletters, they only wanted you to join their street team, buy an album or such. I personally think that this is a missed opportunity, as the internet is a cheap and effective way of staying in touch with your fans. I’m not saying they need to be posting videos about their vacation activities, although it certainly wouldn’t hurt.
So, after all this whining and complaining, I can say that I do wonder what their next album, due out 2010, is going to be like. They did contribute a song to Music For Life 2009, for whatever that is. It’s called When I Lay Beside You and the video is online on YouTube. It starts off looking like a rip-off of the great Bright Eyes video to First Day Of My Life [YouTube – watch it, it’s good!], but then ends with a “political” angle (for lack of a better word). It also features Gert’s terrifying facial hair.
When I Lay Beside You by K’s Choice
I am everything I want to be
With your loving face in front of me
With your eyes that hum the perfect song
To go on long after I am goneWhen I lay beside you
When I lay beside youLike the absence of a roaring sound
And the walls I built came tumbling down
And it almost made me worship god
Cause you’re everything these words are notWhen I lay beside you
When I lay beside you
When I lay beside you
I am perfectIn your eyes I see eternity
And a girl that looks a lot like me
Eternity, a little trip
You’re the beat my heart will skipWhen I lay beside you
When I lay beside you
When I lay beside you
I am perfectWhen I lay beside you
When I lay beside you
When I lay beside you
[lyrics taken from here and adjusted slightly]
So now if anyone could enlighten me why it’s “lay” and not “lie”, that would be great. I’d either say, “When I lay beside you, I was perfect” or “When I lie beside you, I am perfect.” (Adam? :)) As for how eyes hum a song, I’ll let that pass as artistic freedom.
