A collection of genuinely literate, witty, wry and, in the main, totally unaffected songs... 'Portrait', as is, is a lustrous thing 
by Unpeeled.net
[Portrait...] hits an honest raw nerve that few singers manage in these days of superficiality and artifice
Owen Franklin has produced an 11 track album of wittily literate compositions... [he] is a sharply worded humorist [and] a spectacularly deranged genius
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
[Franklin] has something of Belle and Sebastian or The Divine Comedy about him, particularly with his self-depreciating, but charming, ways
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
[Franklin] has a youthful way of combining images and bursts of vivid emotion. He’s no Dylan or Jason Mraz, but there is an unpolished, tongue-in cheek attitude
by Pennyblack Music (on 'The Not-So-Great Gatsby' single)
'Film Noir' demonstrates a truly cinematic view of storytelling... there is a definite 'film' element to all of this, what with the amount of stories being told in the space of just these three songs... This is an entertaining, bold world of miseries faced with the one healthy response it can get - irony
by AAA Music
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?
by Room 13
The music on 'The Film Noir EP' is of a high standard, and Franklin’s lyrics, particularly on 'Teetotal', are thoughtful, inspired and humorous. There is a lot to like on the three tracks
[Franklin] has a gift with words making them dance along to his melodies
A charming and brilliant EP from a very talented young artist... dazzlingly unique and refreshingly different, and certainly deserves a lot of attention
