The Maine have a tough time saying "These Four Words" in their new video.

There's a reason why The Maine's new "These Four Words" video, off their long-awaited album Forever Halloween, will make you cry your water weight in tears: The song and its stripped-down, intimate video is a no-holds-barred, drive-me-to-Costco-to-bulk-buy-Kleenex example of a relationship gone awry. And while you're not busy conjuring up memories of your high school boyfriend breaking your heart, you'll be like, "Wait, this is coming from the same band that sang, 'Sex sells, and your sex cells make all the lost boys drool'?????"

Watch The Maine's "These Four Words" video after the jump.

Shot all in one take, "These Four Words" has frontman John O'Callaghan unhappily lying in bed with whom we assume must be his longtime girlfriend. As he readies himself to leave the room (and ultimately, the relationship), he sings with a heavy, wintry timbre à la Bright Eyes' "First Day of My Life": "As if a plane crash were timely/ There’s no good time for bad news/ These four words don’t come easy/ I don't love you." (Editor's note: WHYYYY?!?!)

Despite its less-than-uplifting subject matter, the Daniel James Gomes-directed clip does make it clear that this is the kind of breakup where no one's really to blame. It's just two people facing the realities of falling out of love. And yep, "These Four Words" might mark a professional turning point for The Maine (it seems they've officially departed from their "pop-punk-with-a capital-P" era), but it's nice to see that they're still breaking hearts and taking names. (Albeit a little more gently.)

Grab Forever Halloween on iTunes, and catch The Maine on their headlining "8123" Tour along with A Rocket To The Moon, This Century and Brighten.

+ Watch The Maine's "These Four Words" video.

Photo credit: Dirk Mai