The Belgian rock band K’s Choice has always been a bit of a memorable one-hit wonder to me. The lead singer sounded like Suzanne Vega and that one hit song was released at an incredible timing. It was right in the middle of the rise of female rock music with The Cranberries leading the way. K’s Choice had a similar sound, but all I know is that one song: “Not An Addict”.
The track was a massive hit across Europe and even found its way to the alternative charts in the US. It was used for a few movies, which kept the song going. I’ve always known that the band kept performing and releasing new music, but never realized that their success started 25 years ago.
To celebrate their 25 years of success, they have recorded a brand new version of the song and released it under the name “Not An Addict 2017” and it features Skin, lead singer for Skunk Anansie and longtime friend to the band.
It’s not the first time the two have paired up to sing this song. Throughout the years, there have been several occasions where the two have performed the song in front of a live audience, for instance at festivals. It is the first time that the song has been recorded and they have completely reworked the song.
The rock power has been removed, the bass has been updated to a contemporary sound and the vocals, and their harmonies in particular, have taken the leading role. It is impressive, but with it being stripped and brought back to a ballad, it has lost some of its original charm even though the vocals make up for some of that.
In short, the powerful rock song, that once showed a lot of frustration, is now a beautiful ballad and only picks up the energy a little later in the song, and only for a moment. I think it would depend on my mood to know which one I prefer. Both are really good for their own reasons. I think the 2017 version is beautiful when you stop comparing it to the original version and judge it on its own. It is perfect for listening, rather than singing along.
Skin’s vocals are pretty raw initially compared to Sarah’s (lead singer K’s Choice), but she’s incredibly versatile and fragile at the same time. In combination with Sarah, she really provides a great depth and warmth to the song. I have to say, I think the harmonies between the two really make this track, but it is a bit of a laid back, stripped celebration for a 25th anniversary party.
