The Twins Of Franklin: “This Life” (2024) CD Review

The group The Twins Of Franklin is led by the duo of Becky Shaheen and Laura Lou DuSchane, who are not twins, or even sisters, but rather close friends who began singing together in college. They put out their first album, Low, in 2020, and last year followed that with This Life. This Life contains all original material, written by Becky Shaheen and Laura Lou DuSchane. Both members of this duo deliver beautiful vocal work on this album. In addition, Becky Shaheen plays guitar and keyboards, and Laura Lou DuSchane plays ukulele, guitar and keyboards. The band also includes Joe Shaheen on bass and vocals (along with several other instruments on key tracks), and Brian Riedinger on drums and percussion. They also have several other musicians joining them on various tracks.

The album gets off to a strong start with “To The Moon,” which begins with a delicious, bluesy howl on harmonica (that’s Joe Shaheen on harmonica). When the song kicks in, it has a bright country sound, and moves at a good pace. “The well is running dry/The people are so damn tired/So much to let go/So much to hope for/And time keeps tickin’ on by/Cryin’ a little bit more than I’d like.” Those lines will likely speak to most folks. Who isn’t tired at this point? There is so much to let go. And while there is so much to hope for, there is also a lot to fear, a lot to worry about. And yet we don’t want to spend our time in worry because time is moving too quickly. This song also contains a nod to The Little Engine That Could, a story that we all recall from our childhoods. Then in the second half, there is a break, and things mellow out for a time. After the line “They won’t be keeping me down no more,” it kicks in again. It seems just exactly right for the energy to rise at that moment, and perhaps we are adding our own energy to it then. Tommy Barbarella plays organ on this track. There is a gentler folk feel as “Look At All This Life” begins, with Joe Shaheen on mandolin and harmonica. This song features gorgeous harmonies. “I’m glad we’re able to stay/And smile through darkest days/Look at all this life we have.” That is going to be key, I think, smiling through the darkest days. Who’d thought we’d have to go through this all again? But half the country was eager to put a convicted felon back in the White House; they are the ones responsible for these dark days we’ve already entered. It is difficult to remain optimistic, but the music urges us to do so, and music will be the very thing to help us maintain that sort of attitude, that port of position. This song is about life, about how it continues through the next generation.

There is also gorgeous and captivating vocal work on “The Wait,” their voices having a wonderfully haunting vibe. “And how do I process it/My mind won’t quit/Since I lost you/Was it something I did/Or something I said/Guess I’ll hold on to your things/Keep them safe/And wait, and wait.” This is an incredible song, featuring strings and some really good work on percussion. Jillian Rae is on both violin and viola, and Cierra Hill is on cello. Kevin Rowe is on harpsichord. I also love the energy to the vocal performance as the song progresses. This song gets us in its grasp and does not let go, and we have no wish for it to do so. Then “Life By Design” comes on with a strong country pop energy. Eric Sexe plays guitar on this one. This song asks us, “What would you do/How would you spend/Your time, your life by design.” They might very well be singing, “What do you do/How do you spend your time?” For that is what we must ask ourselves, particularly as our time is finite. As they sing here, “‘Cause we’ve only got this life/Just one fantastic life/So you had better stop wasting all your time.” Life is so short, and getting shorter all the time. And this is it, folks. There is nothing after this. So quit screwing around, quit wasting time, quit hurting each other. Every moment is precious.

“Stay” begins with some soft work on keys, and that instrument supports the vocal work. “It’s not my job to be okay with this/But I hope that you’ll stay.” Again, the vocal work is captivating. There is a great bluesy, soulful aspect to the vocal performance on this one. Tommy Barbarella is again on organ. And this track also features some good work by the string section, adding to the strong appeal of this one. “Stay” is followed by “Worry,” which has a more cheerful sound from the start, partly due to that nice percussion. The worry of the song’s title is done on the part of parents regarding their children. And that worry doesn’t cease as the children grow up. “Part of the job is to worry/Even when we’re old and grown and maybe even grey/Now I understand it comes with a love so great/So I will let you know when I am home safe.” This is a sweet number that once again features the string section of Jillian Rae and Cierra Hill. I need to play this song for my girlfriend, and probably for her son as well.

“Stuck Inside” is one of those songs that makes us think of that time at the beginning of the pandemic when everything was closed and we were stuck at home, but also feels applicable to our time now, especially in lines like “If the world’s gonna end/I may as well spend it with you.” There is a wonderfully positive sound to this song. In part, it is the presence of banjo that creates that sound. That’s Joe Shaheen on banjo, yet one more instrument he plays on this album. Another element that contributes greatly to that positive vibe is the whistling by Patrick DuSchane. And Daniel Koza joins the band on euphonium. The album then concludes with “All Your Love,” which opens with a bright burst of vocals. “All your love/I wanna have it/All your love/I ain’t getting enough.” There is a tremendous energy to this song, both in the vocal delivery and in the music. This one is at the edge of rock, with a strong beat and a good bass line. I also love that harmonica work in the middle. “A little bit for some is not enough/When I want it all.”

CD Track List

1. To The Moon
2. Look At All This Life
3. The Wait
4. Life By Design
5. Stay
6. Worry
7. Stuck Inside
8. All Your Love

This Life was released on May17, 2024.