Their music can be described as guitar-based singer-songwriter rock or folk-rock. It ranges from very delicate and intimate singer-songwriter songs to songs that are stronger, more active and louder. Sam’s smoky, enigmatic voice is the band's best known characteristic. In the seven years between The Great Subconscious Club and Almost Happy the music changed from raw and guitar-based to a more subtle and delicate sound. Sam and Gert write most of the music and lyrics. Most of it is written separately.
Sam mainly tries to express ideas in his songs, and has a hand in writing silly and tongue-in-cheek songs. Gert has one big theme: losing the one you love. While most of the songs are easily accessible and open, some others are strange and incomprehensible. This led Sam to comment: "Listening to the lyrics in the first time, you may find it hard to understand their meaning. When you listen to them a second time you may sense a basic truth in these cryptic words. If you do so, please let me know."
This band appeared in an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Doppelgangland) with the song Virgin State of Mind, leading to a boost in popularity.Their most popular song 'Not an addict' can be heard in the movie 'Wild things'.
K's Choice fifth studio album, "Echo Mountain" (after the studios where it was recorded - Echo Mountain Studios in North Carolina) was released on 26 March 2010, with singles "When I Lay Beside You" and "Come Live The Life" being released from the album.
2016 marked the band's first US tour in over 10 years, which the band releasing an accompanying sessions album - The Backpack Sessions later in the year.
In January 2017, the band released a stripped-back re-recording of "Not an Addict." It featured Skin of Skunk Anansie as a guest vocalist, who had previously performed the song live with the group on several occasions.
On 16 March 2018, the band released a live album entitled "Live at the Ancienne Belgique", recorded at a concert (in Dec 2017) in Brussels during the 25th Anniversary tour.
In May 2019, Sam Bettens came out as a trans man.
No Surprises
K's Choice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A job that slowly kills you
Bruises that won't heal
You look so tired, unhappy
Bring down the government
They don't, they don't speak for us
A handshake of carbon monoxide
And no alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
Silent
Silent
This is my final fit
My final bellyache with
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises, please
Such a pretty house and
Such a pretty garden
No alarms and no surprises (let me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises (let me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises, please (let me out of here)
The lyrics of K's Choice's song "No Surprises" are full of vivid imagery, and paint a picture of a person who is stuck in a job they hate, feeling overwhelmed and desperate for a way out. The lyrics "a heart that's full up like a landfill" and "a job that slowly kills you" suggest that this person's life is suffocating them, and they are trapped in a cycle of monotony.
The line "bruises that won't heal" could be a physical manifestation of the emotional and psychological toll this person's life is taking on them. They appear tired and unhappy, and the call to "bring down the government" suggests a lack of faith in the system and those in power.
The chorus lyrics "no alarms and no surprises" repeat three times, perhaps as a mantra for the person to hope for something different. They are seeking a "quiet life" and a "handshake of carbon monoxide", which could be interpreted as a desire for a peaceful end to their suffering.
In the final verses, the lyrics shift to a description of a pretty house and garden, which could be seen as a contrast to the singer's own life. They end with a plea to be released from their current situation, asking for "no alarms and no surprises, please".
Line by Line Meaning
A heart that's full up like a landfill
Feeling emotionally burdened and weighed down by the accumulation of negative experiences and memories.
A job that slowly kills you
A work life that is unfulfilling and unsatisfying, and that is slowly draining the individual of their energy and vitality.
Bruises that won't heal
Physical and emotional scars that continue to pain and haunt the individual, leading to a sense of frustration and helplessness.
You look so tired, unhappy
Observing symptoms of burnout and depression on the individual's face, reflecting their belabored and demotivated state.
Bring down the government
Calling for the overthrow of the political authorities that do not empathize with the needs and wants of the common people.
They don't, they don't speak for us
The failure of the government to truly represent and articulate the needs and aspirations of the general populace, creating a disconnect and unease in the society.
I'll take a quiet life
Desiring solitude and peace, and seeking an escape from the noise and clamor of the world.
A handshake of carbon monoxide
The prospect of death through suicide, symbolized by a toxic handshake with a poisonous gas.
And no alarms and no surprises
Preferring a predictable and stable life, without any sudden and unexpected events or changes that could rock the individual's comfort level.
Silent
Becoming silent and retreating from the world, perhaps in a moment of introspection or reflection.
This is my final fit
Experiencing a final outburst or spasm of frustration, as the individual reaches breaking point and is at their wit's end.
My final bellyache with
Culminating in one last complaint or grumble, before letting go of the troubles and hardships that have plagued the individual.
Such a pretty house and
Referencing the facade of an idyllic and picture-perfect life, that only scratches the surface of the individual's true feelings and experiences.
Such a pretty garden
Further emphasizing the image of a pristine and well-manicured exterior, that is masking a hidden and darker reality.
No alarms and no surprises (let me out of here)
Echoing the desire for an uneventful and routine life, free of any unpleasant jolts, and possibly hinting at a morbid desire to end one's life.
No alarms and no surprises (let me out of here)
Repeating the chorus to reinforce the urgent need to escape from the monotony and unhappiness of the present moment, towards a more peaceful and fulfilling future.
No alarms and no surprises, please (let me out of here)
A final plea for respite and liberation from the burdens and pains that have been weighing down the individual, through the metaphorical opening of a door to a better place.
Contributed by Evelyn R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.