In July, Regina Spektor kicked off her comeback with the catchy single “Bleeding Heart,” which proved she’s still a virtuoso at crafting quirky pop earworms. But rest assured, the singer-songwriter’s balladry skills haven’t faded either, something she proved on Thursday (September 8) with the somber song “Black and White.”

As its title suggests, the piano-driven number is quite simple, but it’s gorgeous — like a sad, twinkling lullaby. “Sad, sad eyes know too much / You will always start to cry / Why should I wait for tomorrow?” Spektor wonders, mourning a lost love over a slow, swirling melody. It’ll tug hard on your heartstrings ... but you can’t escape the feeling that there’s a sliver of hope for a new beginning. That’s just the magic of Spektor's songwriting.

Remember Us to Life, Spektor’s seventh album and her first since 2012, arrives on September 30.