Though still in his early 20s, on his self-released debut, Texas native Parker Twomey plays a brand of generation agnostic Country Folk that seems to draw inspiration from the likes of Hank Williams and Guy Clark. Across the eleven tracks on his new album All This Life, Twomey mines personal experiences about love, lost love and regret for songs that are more insightful than one would assume coming from a 21-year-old.
He got his start in high school working at Modern Electric Sound Recorders in Dallas – a studio where Leon Bridges, Jonathan Tyler, and the Texas Gentlemen have all recorded albums — moving his way up from getting coffee to playing keyboards in the studio. Paul Cauthen was so impressed that he asked an 18-year-old Twomey to join his touring band as a keyboardist and auxiliary guitarist.
Those studio connections come full circle on All This Life, with Matt Pence serving as co-producer, engineer, and drummer. Beau Bedford co-produces and plays multiple instruments on the record alongside members of the Texas Gentlemen and the Grand Ole Opry’s house band.
The record starts off solid enough for the first couple of songs, but it’s on “I’d Be Your Man,” three tracks in, where you fully realize the power of both Twomey’s voice and lyrics. It never really lets up from that point on. The next song, “Baby, It’s a Harder Way Now,” is a heavy, vulnerable take on heartbreak. Elsewhere, the closing track “Family” is a sweet, mellow ode to growing old and being surrounded by someone you love.
Recorded during breaks between touring, the addition of lush strings throughout and cosmic country guitar affects (likely thanks to members of The Texas Gentlemen), add to the already strong appeal of Twomey’s emotive vocals, making for a remarkably satisfying record. Alongside contemporary artists like Sarah Shook and Tyler Childers, there is a timeless quality to Twomey’s music that has an appeal way beyond the normal country and folk music fans. All This Life is a strong introduction to the world.
