Only a true artist stands the test of time and even though this isn’t Bettens’ first rodeo, this album has all the freshness of youth, sprinkled into the maturity and unapologetic truth of a born-to-be songwriter.
Originally from Belgium, Bettens did not grow up running through screened in porches, listening to momma’s Hank Williams albums. Yet he somehow manages to tap into an old school authenticity of Americana-country music, seemingly without even trying. With lyrics that flow like water and a voice that sounds like it’s seen some things, you believe every word as if you were there to live it.
Maybe it was his 15-year stint in East Tennessee, some of those years working as a fulltime firefighter, that makes this transition from alternative rock to country so effortless for Bettens. Whatever it may be, his American citizenship shines through more than just his passport. Call it country or Americana, this album just makes you want to pack your bags and go on a cross-country road trip.
Bettens snagged producer and 4-time winner of the Academy of Country Music guitar player of the year Tom Bukovac to lead this project, recorded in Nashville, the mecca of country music. Bukovac put together an astounding who’s who of musicians and lifted these songs to the radio-ready level they deserve.
Bettens is still half of K’s Choice, a Belgian band he’s been in with his brother since he was 19 years old. With international hits like ‘Not an Addict’ and ‘Believe’, K’s Choice established itself quickly on top of the international alternative rock scene and never really left. But even K’s Choice had its Americana and melancholy singer-songwriter moments and it’s nice to see that side of Bettens in the spotlight.
