The Twins of Franklin ‘This Life’ Album Review
Review by: Dani Erin, Writer @danierinmusic
Edited by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner/Editor @PlaylistTC
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Right off the bat this album starts out full of emphatic energy. I was having a particularly lazy rainy day until I put This Life album on. Then I started organizing my closet which then led me to mop my floors (a well overdue task). The energy is infectious. Now here's the thing, they aren't actually twins, but the stars aligned and made their voices and well faces compliment eachother like salt and peppa. Maybe they knew each other in a past life or perhaps in the hot summer months during the 1600’s one of their family members had a lusty fling only to be torn apart by smallpox. Who can say for sure, what is apparent is these two powerhouses were meant to cross paths. Don't you just love it when stars align?
When I asked Laura Lou & Becky Shaheen to tell me about themselves this is what they said “We are a band fronted by two best friends who’ve been singing together since we were 19! We were post college roommates for a few years who started making music together by first singing on each other’s solo records, and then in 2014 we started flirting with the idea of going official as a duo. We formed The Twins of Franklin officially in 2017. We have spent most of the last 4 years writing and recording This Life. This is the contagious element you can hear throughout the entire album.
One of my favorite songs is ‘“Look at all This Life”. It has this chill laid back vibe. The orchestration under their voices is like listening to a river. You can't see where the water is coming from, it just knows the way. It acts as a guide for their voices. Nothing is forced, it just simply is the way.
My next personal favorite song on the album is “Stay.” It's a lullaby to maybe all my past loves. All the things I should have said before I let them go. Relationships are hard man, but next time before I close the door forever I might put this tune on and rethink my part in it all.
This Life album as a whole is a deep dive into their talent as both vocalists and exceptional writers. They both command a spot at the table. The message is so clear that all this talent cannot be contained or wasted. I asked them if anything unexpected happened during the making of This Life and they said “both of our husbands appear on the record, which wasn’t planned but happened so organically and it is one of our favorite things about it.” Isn't that the real secret? Balancing it all between work, family, ups and downs, being a human, and well, just living this life. Something tells me that they have figured out how to make it work and even if they haven't they can write an intensely personal song that we can all relate to. Amen.
Another highlight on the record is “All Your Love”. The harmonies are epic and anytime I hear a harmonica solo I swoon. Reminds me of my grandfather and how he used to sit in his old recliner and play whatever came to his heart. This song also gives me Reba McEntire early 1990’s country music vibes.
When I asked them what the future holds for The Twins of Franklin they said “We have a fun 2024 gig list including a big night at Lake Harriet Bandshell this summer, and then we plan to write more music, record, and keep living life together as friends and music partners.” Hey The Twins of Franklin if you ever want to become The Triples of Franklin I would happily join, you got my number.
