“Despite Your Doubts,” by Tired Eyes, is the soundtrack to the movie that plays in the heads of (infinity) former couples, the movie filmed after the breakup, when the screenwriter lets everyone say the things they wish they had said when it actually happened, and no one feels bad about how it ended, and only Good Songs remain on the cassette tape that is furtively removed from the box once a year and played as a reminder, not of What Could Have Been, but of Who We Became.

And as Glynnis O’Connor pauses before walking down the jetway to board the plane for Detroit, she places her hand on Robby Benson’s shoulder (for this is 1973, when non-passengers could still enter the gate areas) and says…

I probably won’t be there when you’re 21
And despite your doubts
You’ll always mean something to someone

You gave me Saint Valentine
I’ll give you Joan of Arc
And American Football in the dark

“Despite Your Doubts” is one of those unapologetic Pop Songs, full of melody, harmony, major chords, twangy guitars, and understated keyboards. There’s a tastefully-plucked banjo in there somewhere, tastefully-plucked being the only acceptable type of banjo. The lead vocalist carries the show, delivering her lines with an irresistibly simple sincerity.

As a Certified Music Journalist, I’m obligated to inject at least one Obscure Reference into each review. If I don’t, they’ll take away that little “Music Press” card that I slip into the hatband of my fedora. Today’s Obscure Reference is: “Despite Your Doubts” brings to mind the songs of Golden Teardrops, a similarly sunny retro duo from California that we have featured twice, here and here. Tired Eyes and Golden Teardrops both convey a wonderfully accessible musical sensibility, the former more 70’s influenced with a sprinkling of Fleetwood Mac, the latter happily rooted in the prior decade.

Tired Eyes is Ellie and Liam from Boston in Lincolnshire, England and… And I guess that’s about all they want you to know about them because that’s about all the information they put out there. I think I’ve written about them before, or at least my cat has. Liam may be Kid Chameleon. Fluffy posted a Song of the Day about “Chasing Rain,” a track from his latest EP, Prelude to Blue, back in March. Ellie sang harmony on the track. I did not know this before I chose “Despite Your Doubts” as the Song of the Day. Good to know the cat and I have similar tastes in music.

You can support fine independent musicians like Tired Eyes by visiting their Bandcamp page, listening to their songs, and downloading your favorite tracks. And be sure to follow Tired Eyes on Twitter.