Chords for Balkans- Self-Titled ALBUM REVIEW
Tempo:
73.1 bpm
Chords used:
G
F
C
G#m
F#
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
Hi everyone, Anthony Fantano here, the Internet's busiest music nerd.
Ha ha ha, time for a review.
Ha ha ha, Balkans.
Ha ha ha, self-titled.
Cal Chuchesta, what do you think of Balkans?
Ah, na na na, ba ba ba.
There's no talking in the WAC Calzone.
There's no talking in the WAC Calzone.
Oh, don't type that.
Don't type
Oh, you're doing it right now, aren't you?
Now that my mood is ruined.
Balkans is an Atlanta rock band, and this is their self-titled debut.
And how to explain this
Basically, this thing is kind of like punks at prom.
They're in tuxedos, their mohawks are shaved off, their misfits tattoos are covered with sleeves.
But, there's still an edge there.
Their shoes are clean, but it's a spit shine.
They're spiking the punch, they're hitting on other dudes' girlfriends, they're moshing on the dance floor,
and they're throwing on the dance for a stealth pee on the DJ's turntable when he's not looking.
So, to go with that softer side, Balkans do write very straightforward and concise pop, rock songs.
They really stick to a structure and throw a lot of melodic guitar leads in there.
But, there's a ton of energy and passion behind it.
Maybe a little bit of anger as well.
And because of that, it kind of feels like they're trying to bust out of this structure
or make this old, tame formula feel young and wild and alive again.
I love the production on this record.
It's really, really tight.
Just very, I gotta say, lean.
The drums are very snappy, they've got a lot of attack on them, little to no release.
Just like on some of my favorite punk records.
And the guitars are played really roughly.
Fast, too, but no matter how much energy the guitars have behind them,
they never lose their sense of melody, of harmony.
There's a lot of jangle [G] to those guitars, like on early Strokes records.
But, that's not the only parallel this band has with the Strokes, but we'll get to that later.
The bass lines do a great job of differentiating themselves from the guitars
when they're not both in that, you know, unison down-stroking motion.
[N] And they find really interesting ways to emphasize the rhythm in these songs
and really propel them forward, which is what bass does best.
And the last thing I want to touch down upon, sound-wise, style-wise, are the vocals.
This dude, the way he sings, it really helps me separate this band from other bands.
It's not the most distinct voice on the block, but he goes all out.
Whether it's on a faster track, like Let You Have It, where he's just freaking out aggressively,
or the slower songs, where I really kind of feel like he's over-emoting as much as he possibly can.
He's just disemboweling himself and letting his guts spill out everywhere.
He doesn't care where they go, just as long as they're spilling, they're splash.
It's like a Gallagher performance.
Now, honestly, in my opinion, there is not a bad song on here.
It's a very solid debut from a solid band.
But, is every song here amazing me?
It does drown in its influences a tiny bit.
This album, in terms of songwriting, just reeks of a deep appreciation [F] for the Strokes.
The guitar lead on Dressed in Black, the vocals on Black Swan,
and there are flickers of that influence popping up on other spots of this album.
[N] It's almost to the point where I feel like these guys could have ghostwritten for the Strokes on Angles
and nobody would have known the difference.
But, you know what?
If you're going to show off an influence, and everybody does,
no matter what they think, why not show off a good one?
Because, for me, those first two Strokes records, if you're looking for modern, immediate rock songwriting,
they're two of the best.
But still, what these guys do on their own impresses me a lot.
They write a lot of transitions in their songs from one part to another.
The choruses just burst with intensity.
They make sure that the verses bring a lot of contrast into the songs.
Solo parts, interludes, bridges.
[G#m] It's all really well-structured.
And yet, it's so energetic and fun, [F#] you wouldn't necessarily need to pick apart what they're doing musically
to really get anything out of it.
I'm feeling a strong 7 to a light 8 on this LP.
Liking it a lot.
Liking it a lot.
And I definitely recommend it.
I feel like it can only go up from here.
Excited for what [N] these guys put out in the future.
Good debut.
What do you guys think of this LP?
You can listen to it down there in the D-Box.
There's a link for your ears.
And, uh, what do you think I should review next?
[B] Anthony Fantano.
[C] Balkans.
Forever.
[Am] [F] [G]
Ha ha ha, time for a review.
Ha ha ha, Balkans.
Ha ha ha, self-titled.
Cal Chuchesta, what do you think of Balkans?
Ah, na na na, ba ba ba.
There's no talking in the WAC Calzone.
There's no talking in the WAC Calzone.
Oh, don't type that.
Don't type
Oh, you're doing it right now, aren't you?
Now that my mood is ruined.
Balkans is an Atlanta rock band, and this is their self-titled debut.
And how to explain this
Basically, this thing is kind of like punks at prom.
They're in tuxedos, their mohawks are shaved off, their misfits tattoos are covered with sleeves.
But, there's still an edge there.
Their shoes are clean, but it's a spit shine.
They're spiking the punch, they're hitting on other dudes' girlfriends, they're moshing on the dance floor,
and they're throwing on the dance for a stealth pee on the DJ's turntable when he's not looking.
So, to go with that softer side, Balkans do write very straightforward and concise pop, rock songs.
They really stick to a structure and throw a lot of melodic guitar leads in there.
But, there's a ton of energy and passion behind it.
Maybe a little bit of anger as well.
And because of that, it kind of feels like they're trying to bust out of this structure
or make this old, tame formula feel young and wild and alive again.
I love the production on this record.
It's really, really tight.
Just very, I gotta say, lean.
The drums are very snappy, they've got a lot of attack on them, little to no release.
Just like on some of my favorite punk records.
And the guitars are played really roughly.
Fast, too, but no matter how much energy the guitars have behind them,
they never lose their sense of melody, of harmony.
There's a lot of jangle [G] to those guitars, like on early Strokes records.
But, that's not the only parallel this band has with the Strokes, but we'll get to that later.
The bass lines do a great job of differentiating themselves from the guitars
when they're not both in that, you know, unison down-stroking motion.
[N] And they find really interesting ways to emphasize the rhythm in these songs
and really propel them forward, which is what bass does best.
And the last thing I want to touch down upon, sound-wise, style-wise, are the vocals.
This dude, the way he sings, it really helps me separate this band from other bands.
It's not the most distinct voice on the block, but he goes all out.
Whether it's on a faster track, like Let You Have It, where he's just freaking out aggressively,
or the slower songs, where I really kind of feel like he's over-emoting as much as he possibly can.
He's just disemboweling himself and letting his guts spill out everywhere.
He doesn't care where they go, just as long as they're spilling, they're splash.
It's like a Gallagher performance.
Now, honestly, in my opinion, there is not a bad song on here.
It's a very solid debut from a solid band.
But, is every song here amazing me?
It does drown in its influences a tiny bit.
This album, in terms of songwriting, just reeks of a deep appreciation [F] for the Strokes.
The guitar lead on Dressed in Black, the vocals on Black Swan,
and there are flickers of that influence popping up on other spots of this album.
[N] It's almost to the point where I feel like these guys could have ghostwritten for the Strokes on Angles
and nobody would have known the difference.
But, you know what?
If you're going to show off an influence, and everybody does,
no matter what they think, why not show off a good one?
Because, for me, those first two Strokes records, if you're looking for modern, immediate rock songwriting,
they're two of the best.
But still, what these guys do on their own impresses me a lot.
They write a lot of transitions in their songs from one part to another.
The choruses just burst with intensity.
They make sure that the verses bring a lot of contrast into the songs.
Solo parts, interludes, bridges.
[G#m] It's all really well-structured.
And yet, it's so energetic and fun, [F#] you wouldn't necessarily need to pick apart what they're doing musically
to really get anything out of it.
I'm feeling a strong 7 to a light 8 on this LP.
Liking it a lot.
Liking it a lot.
And I definitely recommend it.
I feel like it can only go up from here.
Excited for what [N] these guys put out in the future.
Good debut.
What do you guys think of this LP?
You can listen to it down there in the D-Box.
There's a link for your ears.
And, uh, what do you think I should review next?
[B] Anthony Fantano.
[C] Balkans.
Forever.
[Am] [F] [G]
Key:
G
F
C
G#m
F#
G
F
C
_ _ _ _ _ Hi everyone, Anthony Fantano here, the Internet's busiest music nerd.
Ha ha ha, time for a review.
Ha ha ha, Balkans.
Ha ha ha, self-titled.
Cal Chuchesta, what do you think of Balkans?
_ _ _ Ah, na na na, ba ba ba.
There's no talking in the WAC Calzone.
There's no talking in the WAC Calzone.
Oh, don't type that.
Don't type_
Oh, you're doing it right now, aren't you?
Now that my mood is ruined.
_ Balkans is an Atlanta rock band, and this is their self-titled debut.
And how to explain this_ _
Basically, this thing is kind of like punks at prom.
They're in tuxedos, their mohawks are shaved off, their misfits tattoos are covered with sleeves.
But, there's still an edge there.
Their shoes are clean, but it's a spit shine.
They're spiking the punch, they're hitting on other dudes' girlfriends, they're moshing on the dance floor,
and they're throwing on the dance for a stealth pee on the DJ's turntable when he's not looking.
So, to go with that softer side, Balkans do write very straightforward and concise pop, rock songs.
They really stick to a structure and throw a lot of melodic guitar leads in there.
But, there's a ton of energy and passion behind it.
Maybe a little bit of anger as well.
And because of that, it kind of feels like they're trying to bust out of this structure
or make this old, tame formula feel young and wild and alive again.
I love the production on this record.
It's really, really tight.
Just very, I gotta say, lean.
The drums are very snappy, they've got a lot of attack on them, little to no release.
Just like on some of my favorite punk records.
And the guitars are played really roughly.
Fast, too, but no matter how much energy the guitars have behind them,
they never lose their sense of melody, of harmony.
There's a lot of jangle [G] to those guitars, like on early Strokes records.
But, that's not the only parallel this band has with the Strokes, but we'll get to that later.
The bass lines do a great job of differentiating themselves from the guitars
when they're not both in that, you know, unison down-stroking motion.
[N] And they find really interesting ways to emphasize the rhythm in these songs
and really propel them forward, which is what bass does best.
And the last thing I want to touch down upon, sound-wise, style-wise, are the vocals.
This dude, the way he sings, it really helps me separate this band from other bands.
It's not the most distinct voice on the block, but he goes all out.
Whether it's on a faster track, like Let You Have It, where he's just freaking out aggressively,
or the slower songs, where I really kind of feel like he's over-emoting as much as he possibly can.
He's just disemboweling himself and letting his guts spill out everywhere.
He doesn't care where they go, just as long as they're spilling, they're splash.
It's like a Gallagher performance.
Now, honestly, in my opinion, there is not a bad song on here.
It's a very solid debut from a solid band.
But, is every song here amazing me?
It does drown in its influences a tiny bit.
This album, in terms of songwriting, just reeks of a deep appreciation [F] for the Strokes.
The guitar lead on Dressed in Black, the vocals on Black Swan,
and there are flickers of that influence popping up on other spots of this album.
[N] It's almost to the point where I feel like these guys could have ghostwritten for the Strokes on Angles
and nobody would have known the difference.
But, you know what?
If you're going to show off an influence, and everybody does,
no matter what they think, why not show off a good one?
Because, for me, those first two Strokes records, if you're looking for modern, immediate rock songwriting,
they're two of the best.
But still, what these guys do on their own impresses me a lot.
They write a lot of transitions in their songs from one part to another.
The choruses just burst with intensity.
They make sure that the verses bring a lot of contrast into the songs.
Solo parts, interludes, bridges.
[G#m] It's all really well-structured.
And yet, it's so energetic and fun, [F#] you wouldn't necessarily need to pick apart what they're doing musically
to really get anything out of it.
I'm feeling a strong 7 to a light 8 on this LP.
Liking it a lot.
Liking it a lot.
And I definitely recommend it.
I feel like it can only go up from here.
Excited for what [N] these guys put out in the future.
Good debut.
What do you guys think of this LP?
You can listen to it down there in the D-Box.
There's a link for your ears.
And, uh, what do you think I should review next?
[B] Anthony Fantano.
[C] Balkans.
Forever.
_ [Am] _ _ _ [F] _ _ _ [G] _
Ha ha ha, time for a review.
Ha ha ha, Balkans.
Ha ha ha, self-titled.
Cal Chuchesta, what do you think of Balkans?
_ _ _ Ah, na na na, ba ba ba.
There's no talking in the WAC Calzone.
There's no talking in the WAC Calzone.
Oh, don't type that.
Don't type_
Oh, you're doing it right now, aren't you?
Now that my mood is ruined.
_ Balkans is an Atlanta rock band, and this is their self-titled debut.
And how to explain this_ _
Basically, this thing is kind of like punks at prom.
They're in tuxedos, their mohawks are shaved off, their misfits tattoos are covered with sleeves.
But, there's still an edge there.
Their shoes are clean, but it's a spit shine.
They're spiking the punch, they're hitting on other dudes' girlfriends, they're moshing on the dance floor,
and they're throwing on the dance for a stealth pee on the DJ's turntable when he's not looking.
So, to go with that softer side, Balkans do write very straightforward and concise pop, rock songs.
They really stick to a structure and throw a lot of melodic guitar leads in there.
But, there's a ton of energy and passion behind it.
Maybe a little bit of anger as well.
And because of that, it kind of feels like they're trying to bust out of this structure
or make this old, tame formula feel young and wild and alive again.
I love the production on this record.
It's really, really tight.
Just very, I gotta say, lean.
The drums are very snappy, they've got a lot of attack on them, little to no release.
Just like on some of my favorite punk records.
And the guitars are played really roughly.
Fast, too, but no matter how much energy the guitars have behind them,
they never lose their sense of melody, of harmony.
There's a lot of jangle [G] to those guitars, like on early Strokes records.
But, that's not the only parallel this band has with the Strokes, but we'll get to that later.
The bass lines do a great job of differentiating themselves from the guitars
when they're not both in that, you know, unison down-stroking motion.
[N] And they find really interesting ways to emphasize the rhythm in these songs
and really propel them forward, which is what bass does best.
And the last thing I want to touch down upon, sound-wise, style-wise, are the vocals.
This dude, the way he sings, it really helps me separate this band from other bands.
It's not the most distinct voice on the block, but he goes all out.
Whether it's on a faster track, like Let You Have It, where he's just freaking out aggressively,
or the slower songs, where I really kind of feel like he's over-emoting as much as he possibly can.
He's just disemboweling himself and letting his guts spill out everywhere.
He doesn't care where they go, just as long as they're spilling, they're splash.
It's like a Gallagher performance.
Now, honestly, in my opinion, there is not a bad song on here.
It's a very solid debut from a solid band.
But, is every song here amazing me?
It does drown in its influences a tiny bit.
This album, in terms of songwriting, just reeks of a deep appreciation [F] for the Strokes.
The guitar lead on Dressed in Black, the vocals on Black Swan,
and there are flickers of that influence popping up on other spots of this album.
[N] It's almost to the point where I feel like these guys could have ghostwritten for the Strokes on Angles
and nobody would have known the difference.
But, you know what?
If you're going to show off an influence, and everybody does,
no matter what they think, why not show off a good one?
Because, for me, those first two Strokes records, if you're looking for modern, immediate rock songwriting,
they're two of the best.
But still, what these guys do on their own impresses me a lot.
They write a lot of transitions in their songs from one part to another.
The choruses just burst with intensity.
They make sure that the verses bring a lot of contrast into the songs.
Solo parts, interludes, bridges.
[G#m] It's all really well-structured.
And yet, it's so energetic and fun, [F#] you wouldn't necessarily need to pick apart what they're doing musically
to really get anything out of it.
I'm feeling a strong 7 to a light 8 on this LP.
Liking it a lot.
Liking it a lot.
And I definitely recommend it.
I feel like it can only go up from here.
Excited for what [N] these guys put out in the future.
Good debut.
What do you guys think of this LP?
You can listen to it down there in the D-Box.
There's a link for your ears.
And, uh, what do you think I should review next?
[B] Anthony Fantano.
[C] Balkans.
Forever.
_ [Am] _ _ _ [F] _ _ _ [G] _