Ralphy's C.D. Reviews

Review date 10-11-1998: K's Choice - C.D. Cocoon Crash

Cocoon Crash is the third album of the Belgian band formed by brother and sister Gert (guitar) and Sarah (vocals) Bettens. It's the second K's Choice-CD made with the cooperation of guitarist Jan van Sichem jr. and Dutchman Bart van der Zeeuw on drums. The present line-up was completed by American Eric Grossman, who made his K's Choice album-debut as bassplayer on the 1998 released Cocoon Crash.

The album features 14 very diverse songs and starts with the intoxicating first single "Believe". The biggest hit from the album (so far) was the 2nd single release "Everything for free", which didn't really reach the top of the hitcharts, but in Holland was 19 weeks in the best 100 without getting higher than place 52. This, maybe best, illustrates the excellent music of K's Choice, which, in my humble opinion, is perhaps a little too sophisticated for the 'dumb' masses. In the alternative circuit they have a massive following due to their wonderful soft-rock style, well written lyrics (with actual statements) and the distinctive voice of lead singer Sarah, perhaps best illustrated by the superb "Butterflies instead" and the closing statement of the album "Winners".

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Recently a third single has been taken of the album with the melodious "If you're not scared". It's not doing very well in The Netherlands partly because there was no video made to support the song due to the sickness (Mononucleosis) of guitarist-keyboardplayer Gert Betttens, which also led them to postpone part of their Cocoon Crash-concerttour. This is a shame, because I myself had the opportunity to see them perform live in June on the annual Pinkpop-festival (their second performance there) and they were the absolute highlight of Pinkpop 1998 with among others outstanding versions of "Freestyle" and title song "Cocoon crash". The tour will (hopefully) start again in January 1999 at which time I will try to catch them again in Maastricht. This time in a smaller setting in which, as I've been told, their style blooms even more than on huge scenes. Other songs on Cocoon Crash that need mentioning are low key "20000 seconds" (about a split-up), the powerful "Too many happy faces" and the 'heaviest' song on the album "Hide". This album is evidence for the musical growth of K's Choice since their first album The Great Subconscious Club and follow-up Paradise In Me (with their greatest hit up-to-date "Not an addict"). Although you won't find them at the top of the singles charts, Cocoon Crash is K's Choice best C.D. yet and I grade it with an 8.5 .

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Update 05-01-1999

At the start of this year drumming Dutchman, Bart van der Zeeuw, left the band to spend more time with his new wife and was replaced by Belgian Koen Lieckens, who used to play with Sarah and Gert when they were still known as The Choice. Also there have been 2 new single releases from "Cocoon Crash", the solemn ballad "God in my bed" and later the title song.

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