Hear Elvis Costello’s Bittersweet New Song ‘Suspect My Tears’

Elvis Costello‘s new ballad “Suspect My Tears” is the latest preview off his upcoming LP Look Now. It’s the rocker’s first album with the Imposters in a decade.

The singer pairs the track’s expressive lyrics – “Your lash is sweet now, I dry your cheek / You think I’m powerless when you weep / You may have something, I don’t deny / You look too beautiful when you cry” – with a heartrending, strings-laden production courtesy of Latin Grammy-winning producer Sebastian Krys.

“Not always having a reason to put music on the page, I’m always delighted when a recording session comes out as I’ve heard it in my head,” Costello said of the track in a statement, noting that the strings section was recorded at New York’s Electric Lady studio.

“I could not have asked more from our New York players, the string section sounding as rich and full as twice their number. When I was a kid listening to Tamla and Philly recordings, like those produced by Thom Bell, I always imagined they were played by massive symphony orchestras in a cathedral-like space. I realize now that is what reverb is for.”

“Suspect My Tears” follows previous Look Now singles “Under Lime” and “Unwanted Number.” Look Now, Costello’s first album with the Imposters since 2008’s Momofuku, arrives October 12th.

Costello recently canceled the final six dates of his European tour due to a “small but very aggressive cancerous malignancy” that required surgery. However, Costello’s upcoming U.S. trek that begins in November will still proceed as scheduled.