2015 – Dixiefrog Records
By Phillip Smith; Jan 30, 2016
The new self-titled album
from the multi-award winning Balkun
Brothers is simply put, electric, incredible and rocking. Hailing from Hartford, Connecticut, The Balkun Brothers consists of guitarist/vocalist
Steve Balkun, and his younger
brother, drummer/vocalist Nick Balkun. Balkun
Brothers contains a dozen ripping
white-hot blues-rock songs produced by one of my favorite blues guitarists, the
amazing Popa Chubby.
From the get-go, the Balkun Brothers hit the ground running
full speed with “Been Drivin’”, serving hard-nosed blues with a heart-racing
delivery. This song gets the adrenalin flowing like the Mississippi. They keep that energy
going in “I Know What Ya’ Did”, and “She Got it All”, both full of catchy riffs
and swampy slide guitar. I get totally
swept away in “Control Yourself”, and love the Zeppelin-esque vibe present in “Cold Heart”. The only cover song on the album, Johnny Winter’s “Mean Town Blues” is a
sheer delight. Steve keeps it rolling on guitar as Nick keeps it tumbling with a cool hypnotic beat. The album closes with the sweetly performed,
acoustic selection “Rainy Day Front Porch Blues”. Background audio of passing cars on a wet street
add a nice touch of authenticity.
