LONDON, UK (Top40 Charts/ Vision Music Promotion) With a 'Richer' sound and warmer production Owen Franklins new material retains all the elements which made him stand out before , the witty word play, the do it yourself ethos, the nod of the head to artists such as Springsteen, Dylan and Joel, but now slightly more polished for a broader appeal. New single 'Best At Being Me' is best described by Owen himself:
"The lyrics and the video speak for themselves; there's no hidden meaning to be found in this song. I chose it to be the lead single and opening track for the new album because it is possibly the closest song to a 'mission statement' that I have written. Also, I think it is a fitting sample of the album to come; the music is still varied, but if I had to pick one to represent my signature sound, I think that 'Best At Being Me' is it. Just as well, given the lyrical content.!"
'Double Owen Franklin's age, force him to smoke 20 cigarettes a day, give him at least one divorce and the UK will have itself one hell of a musician... He's smug yet self-depreciating at the same time and hearing what he does next should be interesting' - Room Thirteen
'Franklin has something of Belle and
Sebastian or The
Divine Comedy about him, particularly with his self-depreciating, but charming, ways' - The Crack magazine
'Owen has a rare talent of being able to strike a chord (a literal chord) in just the right beautiful tone, and it can be absolutely gorgeous' - Pennyblack Music
'A collection of genuinely literate, witty, wry and, in the main, totally unaffected songs... 'Portrait', as is, is a lustrous thing' - Unpeeled.net
For 20 year old Owen Franklin, the change from bedroom rock star to credible recording artist seemed to come from nowhere. By the start of 2011 he had finished recording an LP's worth of original tracks and played a couple of solo shows to a handful of friends; less than 4 months later, and his first ever single was being featured on the NME'S website between
Linkin Park and Noah & The Whale.
After years of playing as a backing musician for a host of teenage bands, Owen finally started experimenting with writing his own music in 2010. Enjoying the opportunity to create something personal rather than helping realise somebody else's musical vision, he began to share his compositions with friends and family, who encouraged him to make a full-length demo CD for posterity's sake.
A year on, and what started as a personal project has become much more serious. Despite the 'home-made' nature of the 1st album - " Portrait of the Young Man" including the NME-featured music video shot in 2 hours in a friend's living room - numerous critics and indie fanzines were quick to recognise the raw talent and potential exhibited. Comparisons were drawn with everybody from
Billy Joel to Belle and Sebastian, and the lyrics in particular were praised for their dark playfulness, their brutal honesty, and their duality of being "both smug and self-depreciating".
As he looks forward to his next releases, Owen has learned from those who offered a critique of his music and worked hard to create something of a higher quality. The personality and idiosyncratic style remain, but the latest tracks have been given the sound they deserve, thanks to a professional production from the acclaimed Café
Music Studios.
As a self-confessed Springsteen and Dylan worshipper, there is little doubt that the traditional image of the American songwriter resonates deeply within Owen's soul; echoes of them, alongside contemporary folk-rockers such as Frank Turner, are often discernible. However, the arrangements of the music also bring to mind artists as diverse as Ben Folds, Billy Joel,
Elvis Costello et al. Above all, though, is the raw integrity with which Owen performs his music. The sardonic humour, the mischievous irony, the cruel poignancy - whatever the emotion, it is clear that he writes, and sings, about topics that he truly cares about and believes in.
