Owen Franklin - The Film Noir EP
After achieving a fair bit of praise from the alternative press for his debut album, The Portrait of the Young Man as an Artist, Owen Franklin gives us a taster of what he's planning next in the form of The Film Noir EP. On it, he manages to display talent in a bluesy tune that would be at home in a speak-easy, as well as a wistful ode to alcohol and a three-part ballad (he even weaves in some smooth jazz). Two are completely new tracks and the other is the no-doubt fan favourite Teetotal, the latter being given a new mix which really sounds like an improvement, while keeping the already good lyrics and melody or the original.
The opener, Danse Macabre, immediately catches you with an irresistible piano hook which I am confident only those devoid of a soul could fail to appreciate, before being swept away in the splashy drums, blues guitar and Franklins clever narrative. It's the kind of tune that would not sound out of place in a whiskey bar, or perhaps a prohibition-era speak-easy. The lyrics themselves run a very clever story of the narrator warning against a harsh, unnamed mistress that could be interpreted on different levels. The mistress could well be alcohol herself, but it is left deliberately ambiguous.
We are then given the new mix of an apparently long-time live staple for Franklin: Teetotal. An instantly likeable ballad about the joys of drinking and the ironic poetry of the hangover, showcasing Franklin's wit and self-deprecating humour ("and now it's the morning and my, my stomach feels sick, I've spent all my money and I feel like a prick", for instance), while at the same time keeping some level of longing and emotion, without sounding like it's trying too hard to do either.
Finally, the three-part ballad Going Home. Starting life as a slow, heartfelt, stripped down piano-led ballad, it builds into a prog-rock-esque crash (complete with Floyd-like solo) to usher in a powerful final few lines, before breaking down once again into smooth jazz! Well you certainly can't say that about every song, and the quality remains high.
In short, I can't find a lot wrong with this EP at all. It's got a catchy tune, a nice ballad that doesn't take itself completely seriously, and an epic finish. It's got clever and heartfelt lyrics, with a great voice behind them. It's produced with talent, and the songs themselves just shine. My only complaint is that it doesn't go on for longer, and that's not really a legitimate complaint, is it?