Last week I actually teared up at the season finale of a CW show, and I will have to live with that shame for the rest of my life. However, I did come away with something else that’s been with me ever since. As the show, which may or may not be set in New Orleans and revolve around the lives of vampires, witches, and werewolves, came to a close, “Shallows” by Daughter played and infused even the most fantastical of TV series with wistful tenderness.
The version of the song that played during the finale is an epic seven minute and thirty-one second incarnation that was recorded live at Air Studios with the accompaniment of a 10-piece classical ensemble led by composer John Duddel. While the song lulls briefly mid-track, the tempo is well-suited to the somber tone of the lyrics and only makes the build at the end that much more powerful. The instrumental segments are beautiful, but it is lead singer Elena Tonra’s heartbreaking delivery that makes the music extraordinary.
While I blame the song for my weepiness, I can’t hold a grudge because the melancholic ballad is just too lovely. The song, which in its original version was already dreamy and atmospheric, becomes particularly cinematic and crisp with the help of the added strings, winds, and delicate percussion.
Check out the video of “Shallows” being recorded live at Air Studios, or listen to it courtesy of Soundcloud below, and tell me it doesn’t tug at your heart just a little. I dare you.
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