Hollywood Gypsy – Twinnie

A woman of many talents, Twinnie Lee Moore has been a dancer, an actress and now a singer-songwriter. Having begun writing songs as a child, she is finally debuting her first album. Twinnie states that Hollywood Gypsy is a reflection of “the two worlds I live in”: her gypsy heritage in the UK and her connection to Nashville, USA.

Twinnie is perhaps best known in the UK as Hollyoaks’s Porsche McQueen, a role she played until 2015. After leaving the show, she released her debut single Cool on Soundcloud with much success. Originally from York, Twinnie had always played music, and after a number of songwriting trips to Nashville she decided to pursue a career in it. Her decision coincided with a country music resurgence, a wave ridden or even created by Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus and to some extent Lana Del Rey – all obvious influences on the star’s sound.

Twinnie’s music is sentimental, snappy pop with a country twang. Much of this comes from her classic lyrical tropes – bad men doing you wrong and late nights spent in bars drinking too much whiskey. This is undeniable Americana with snippets of Twinnie’s personality, but mainly the album focuses on the songwriting goldmine of failed relationships. Catchy choruses are enhanced by funky hooks, and the incredibly slick production successfully creates a medley of joy-infused pop jingles and sing-along power ballads. Hollywood Gypsy’s elaborate production works best on the dance floor filler Better When I’m Drunk, the Swiftesque relationship lament I Love You Now Change, and the most countrified of the selection, Daddy Issues.

Twinnie undeniably has a great voice, but it gets lost at times under the mountain of production. Hollywood Gypsy had several producers, including Nathan Chapman and Dave Barnes, who have worked on albums for Swift, Shania Twain and Carrie Underwood. When their influence works, the tracks deliver, but at times it feels overdone and a little generic. Those who are fully invested in the UK country music scene may be disappointed by the undeniably poppy overtones of the album. However, the best tracks from Twinnie’s first release are sure to get even the most die-hard country fan singing along.

Emily Harrison

is released on 17^th April 2020. For further information or to order the album visit Hollywood Gypsy – Twinnie’s website here.

Watch the video for Better When I’m Drunk here: