Little Lore - Being Serafina
With four EPs under her belt, including 2025’s delightful and water-conceptual River Stories, Little Lore (London based singer-songwriter-storyteller Tricia Duffy) has decided to get into literal (and literary) character for full-length debut album, Being Serafina.
Named after the central character in the Tennessee Williams play The Rose Tattoo, Being Serafina transports the heroine from the stage to a 12 song singer-songwriter album that also acts as a modernised soundtrack to the Williams work.
Musically, the genre fluid album utilises, and in some cases mixes, Americana, country, Laurel Canyon folk, rootsy blues, pop, progressive forms and even punk to tell the story of Serafina’s journey from light to troubling darkness and back to light.
Even more impressive is the fact that Tricia Duffy took method acting cases to give her an even deeper understanding of the character.
The album opens with 'Fair Weather,' a dreamy and folksy number with choral harmonies (courtesy of backing vocals from Bella Collins and Ella Tobin). The song also sets the scene for the darkness yet to come, while the use of clarinet (a recurring motif depicting Serafina’s husband Rosario) is an inspired touch.
Following number 'Evil Eye' is a country-noir that does all but channel Tom Waits (no bad thing), while the sparse delicacy of 'Don’t Speak' beautifully captures the denial of unexpected tragedy (Rosario’s death).
It also features a lovely yet vulnerable vocal from Tricia Duffy.
Another lovely vocal (albeit lyrically harrowing) enhances the hazy meets alt-Americana vibe of 'I Can't Breathe,' where Serafina is in an administered, drug-induced state after more devastating news.
Musical contrast then comes calling with the jaunty, pedal steel country-pop of 'Lock Up You Daughters,' which finds Serafina fearing for her now fifteen-year-old daughter’s innocence.
Concern for her daughter turns to happier memories in charming and breezy love song 'He Wore Rose Oil In his Hair' (with the 'clarinet Rosario' threading in and out); happier times turn to questioning times on 'Did You Exist?' where Serafina has found out Rosario was having an affair.
The old-school acoustic & piano arrangement of 'Did You Exist?' helps to heighten Serafina’s growing sadness and isolation; those feelings are fully realised in the poignant, waltz-like sway of 'Dummies' (a co-write with Thiago Trosso of Brazilian ska-punk band Abraskadabra).
The driving beat of the dark and punky 'Atone' depicts Serafina at her angriest (and adds yet another colour to the Little Lore sonic palette) before a calmer, but again questioning Serafina looks to her faith for answers in the quieter solitude of the harp accompanied 'Lady Give Me a Sign.'
Serafina, slowly returning to an ordinary life, then finds 'Love And Affection' with a new man, Alvaro, who clearly has pros and cons, as lyricised on the 50s country styled number ("he’s got a god-like body but the face of a clown; he’s related to the village idiot").
'Strange Things' closes out Serafina’s story and mirrors, in folksy, musical style and hopeful lyricism, opening number 'Fair Weather' (dovetailing duality plays a part in Being Serafina, as it does in the original play).
The more distant sounding clarinet is a particularly nice touch.
This is an exceptionally strong and heavily nuanced (including clever chordal shifts) debut album from Little Lore, who clearly took a deep dive for her art in the company of principle collaborator and multi-instrumentalist Oli Deakin (Lowpines), who also produced and mixed the album.
There’s musical artist, then there’s musical artistry. Take a stage bow together Tricia Duffy and Serafina Delle Rose.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Named after the central character in the Tennessee Williams play The Rose Tattoo, Being Serafina transports the heroine from the stage to a 12 song singer-songwriter album that also acts as a modernised soundtrack to the Williams work.
Musically, the genre fluid album utilises, and in some cases mixes, Americana, country, Laurel Canyon folk, rootsy blues, pop, progressive forms and even punk to tell the story of Serafina’s journey from light to troubling darkness and back to light.
Even more impressive is the fact that Tricia Duffy took method acting cases to give her an even deeper understanding of the character.
The album opens with 'Fair Weather,' a dreamy and folksy number with choral harmonies (courtesy of backing vocals from Bella Collins and Ella Tobin). The song also sets the scene for the darkness yet to come, while the use of clarinet (a recurring motif depicting Serafina’s husband Rosario) is an inspired touch.
Following number 'Evil Eye' is a country-noir that does all but channel Tom Waits (no bad thing), while the sparse delicacy of 'Don’t Speak' beautifully captures the denial of unexpected tragedy (Rosario’s death).
It also features a lovely yet vulnerable vocal from Tricia Duffy.
Another lovely vocal (albeit lyrically harrowing) enhances the hazy meets alt-Americana vibe of 'I Can't Breathe,' where Serafina is in an administered, drug-induced state after more devastating news.
Musical contrast then comes calling with the jaunty, pedal steel country-pop of 'Lock Up You Daughters,' which finds Serafina fearing for her now fifteen-year-old daughter’s innocence.
Concern for her daughter turns to happier memories in charming and breezy love song 'He Wore Rose Oil In his Hair' (with the 'clarinet Rosario' threading in and out); happier times turn to questioning times on 'Did You Exist?' where Serafina has found out Rosario was having an affair.
The old-school acoustic & piano arrangement of 'Did You Exist?' helps to heighten Serafina’s growing sadness and isolation; those feelings are fully realised in the poignant, waltz-like sway of 'Dummies' (a co-write with Thiago Trosso of Brazilian ska-punk band Abraskadabra).
The driving beat of the dark and punky 'Atone' depicts Serafina at her angriest (and adds yet another colour to the Little Lore sonic palette) before a calmer, but again questioning Serafina looks to her faith for answers in the quieter solitude of the harp accompanied 'Lady Give Me a Sign.'
Serafina, slowly returning to an ordinary life, then finds 'Love And Affection' with a new man, Alvaro, who clearly has pros and cons, as lyricised on the 50s country styled number ("he’s got a god-like body but the face of a clown; he’s related to the village idiot").
'Strange Things' closes out Serafina’s story and mirrors, in folksy, musical style and hopeful lyricism, opening number 'Fair Weather' (dovetailing duality plays a part in Being Serafina, as it does in the original play).
The more distant sounding clarinet is a particularly nice touch.
This is an exceptionally strong and heavily nuanced (including clever chordal shifts) debut album from Little Lore, who clearly took a deep dive for her art in the company of principle collaborator and multi-instrumentalist Oli Deakin (Lowpines), who also produced and mixed the album.
There’s musical artist, then there’s musical artistry. Take a stage bow together Tricia Duffy and Serafina Delle Rose.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ